“Charity Finance Made Simple: 1:1 Support for Non‑Finance Staff and Trustees”

Do you sit in charity finance meetings looking at the Statement of Financial Activities, balance sheet and cash flow reports… and secretly feel completely lost? Maybe you’re a brilliant project lead, CEO or trustee, but when the numbers come up, you nod along and hope no one asks you a question.

You are not the only one. Many charity people have never had formal finance training, yet are expected to read complex reports, make big decisions and sign off budgets. The problem isn’t that you’re “bad with numbers” – it’s that no one has ever explained charity finance in plain English, using your reality and your reports.

Why understanding your charity’s numbers matters

When you understand your charity’s finances, everything gets easier.

·        You can spot risks and cash flow issues early, instead of getting nasty surprises.

·        You feel more confident making decisions on projects, staffing and spending.

·        Board meetings become real conversations, not a blur of jargon you hope to get through.

·        You fulfil your responsibilities as a trustee, manager or leader and sleep better at night.

You don’t need to become a finance professional; you just need someone to translate the reports into everyday language and link them to the work you care about.

Introducing my 1:1 charity finance confidence sessions

I’m launching tailored 1:1 “charity finance confidence” sessions, designed especially for non‑finance staff, CEOs, managers and trustees.

In a friendly, confidential space, we sit down together with your real reports – or sample figures if you prefer – and walk through them step by step until they make sense.

These sessions are ideal if you work in or with:

·        Small and medium charities

·        CICs and community organisations

·        Churches or faith‑based charities

and you want to feel genuinely confident when finance is on the agenda.

What we’ll cover together

Every charity is different, so each session is tailored to your role, your experience and your reports

Typical topics we can cover include:

1. Key charity finance jargon in plain English

·        Restricted vs unrestricted funds, designated funds and reserves.

·        Income vs expenditure vs cash.

·        What terms like assets, liabilities and net assets really mean for your charity.

2. Understanding the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA)

·        What the SOFA is trying to tell you about your income and spending.

·        How to see which activities are costing you money and which are sustainable.

·        How movements in funds link back to restricted projects and reserves.

3. Reading your charity balance sheet and reserves

·        What your balance sheet says about financial health and stability.

·        How reserves are shown and what a realistic reserves target might look like.

4. Cash flow and planning ahead

·        Why a charity can be “in surplus” on paper but struggling for cash.

·        Simple ways to keep an eye on cash, commitments and upcoming pressure points.

5. Management accounts and board reporting

·        What to look for in monthly or quarterly management accounts.

·        How to turn detailed finance reports into simple stories for your board or team.

You can bring your latest management accounts, SOFA, balance sheet or cash flow, and we will work directly from those.

How the 1:1 sessions work

These sessions are practical, relaxed and completely judgment‑free

Format: Online via Zoom, or in‑person by arrangement.

Length:

o   Option 1 – 3‑hour intensive: perfect for a deep dive into your latest accounts or preparing for a board meeting.

o   Option 2 – 6 sessions of 2 hours: ideal if you want to build confidence step by step and practise between sessions.

Style: We use your real reports, draw diagrams, and break concepts into everyday examples until they click. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of your charity’s finances and simple checklists you can use for future meetings.

Why learn with me

Many charity finance resources are written by and for accountants; they are accurate but not always accessible for busy non‑finance people. My work focuses on small charities and community organisations, helping them build financial confidence, good governance and practical systems that support their mission.^[understand both the technical side and the reality of limited time, tight budgets and trustees who are volunteers, not finance experts.

Ready to feel more confident with your charity’s finances?

If you’d like to be one of the first to try a 1:1 charity finance confidence session, I’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch and tell me:

·        Your role (e.g. CEO, manager, trustee, treasurer, project lead)

·        The size/type of charity you work with

·        Which reports you most want to understand (SOFA, balance sheet, management accounts, cash flow, restricted/unrestricted funds)

I’ll send you more details, available dates and pricing, and together we’ll create a session that makes your charity’s numbers feel understandable, manageable and genuinely useful.