Welcome to the November edition.
All things Finance this month!
I think it’s fair to say we all await Rachel Reeves’ Budget on 26 November with a sense of anticipation/nervousness! Whilst there will be plenty for the commentors/analysts to pour over, from our perspective there are a number of valuable “asks” that the Civil Society Group (CSG)* have urged the Chancellor to consider, that would directly impact the charity sector.
Chief among these is the establishment of a new fund to help support small charities’ implementation of digital technology, from infrastructure and hardware to digital skills training, to help leverage the potential of AI (in particular) to re-shape service delivery.
At the same time, the CSG urges the Government to address the funding crisis in Local Government that in turn then impacts charities that deliver vital public services and local needs.
Once again CSG also requests that the Government address tax and fiscal incentives to increase giving and donations as well as a broader ask that it works to further promote philanthropy in the UK. You can read CSG’s submission to the Chancellor here.
On a separate note, the new Charities SORP (Statement of Recommended Practice) was launched at the end of October, which provides a framework for accounting and reporting for charities. Whilst there are a lot of changes to take in (particularly for “Tier 2” organisations i.e. charities with income between £0.5m – £15m) the Charity Finance Group is helpfully providing a range of free webinars (to members and non-members) throughout November covering the major changes – details here
Finally, we have just launched our latest Salary Benchmarking and Working Patterns survey, which will help build an updated picture of salary levels, employee benefits, and working practices across the sector. This invaluable data will form the basis of our Report in early 2026. We would encourage all ACO members to participate here (closing date for submission is 1 December).
In the meantime, let’s keep our fingers firmly crossed for a Budget later this month that hopefully supports – rather than hinders – the sector!
Donal Watkin
Chief Executive
* Civil Society Group is a collaboration of over 80 civil society infrastructure and membership organisations (of which ACO is a member) which aims to coordinate action and engagement between civil society organisations and governments across the UK.
This month’s edition features:
- Upcoming ACO events
- Jobs board
- Member spotlight on Foothold
- Guest article from Lightning Reach
- Member news
- Policy and sector news
- Publications