Welcome to your autumn update from the Charity Intelligence team...

It’s hard to believe we’re into the fourth and final quarter of 2024.

In this edition, we report on a fantastic, life-saving charity that’s celebrating its 25th birthday and the work it’s been doing to improve the performance of its investments. Perhaps it will give your board or leadership team some food for thought…

There’s news of a campaign and open letter to the chancellor over fears the sector faces a ￡1.4bn-a-year threat following the government’s recent budget.

We also share an update on the launch of a new industry partnership that aims to help more UK charities access impartial investment advice.

And we publish our most recent quarterly report to help your charity see how its investments have been performing in recent months.

We established Charity Intelligence with a simple aim: To help charities fulfil their mission by accessing the right investment and other expertise from not-for-profit specialists.

You can find out more on our website at www.charityintelligence.co.uk or get in touch with us at?[email protected] if there’s anything we can help you with.

Also in this issue:

• Sector urges chancellor to think again on ￡1.4bn National Insurance hit to charities
• Trustees’ Week 2024
• Free insights to help you and your charity succeed

PROVIDING 'INVALUABLE' SUPPORT TO LIFESAVING CHARITY

The North West Air Ambulance Charity is an amazing organisation that saves thousands of lives every year – without receiving a penny of NHS or government funding.

It’s completely reliant on donations from the public to raise the ￡18m it needs to operate annually. This year it celebrates its 25th birthday.

When its investments were underperforming, it turned to us here at Charity Intelligence – and we were delighted to help. We provided an independent investment review, jargon-free report to help the leadership team and board decide what to do next, and assisted with a tender process to appoint an ongoing investment advisor.

?“What particularly impressed us was how clear the information was and how previously difficult to understand concepts became understandable,” says Director of Finance and Resources, Tony Rowan .

You can read more about the investment challenge the charity was facing and how it solved it here.

?? Looking for an independent, low-cost review of your charity’s investments? Or free support to help with the tender process so you can appoint a specialist investment, insurance, accountancy or legal advisor? Drop us a line at [email protected] and let’s see how we can support you.

Make your voice heard over ‘￡1.4bn threat to charities’

A campaign has been launched calling for the government to safeguard charities from increased employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) – amid fears they will devastate the sector.

NCVO and ACEVO have issued a joint letter to the chancellor, outlining their concerns. And they’re urging everyone to sign it.

The groups estimate that the sector’s total increased cost of employer NICs will be ￡1.4bn per year, following changes announced in the autumn budget.

“We’ve been clear that charities are already in a dire situation,?struggling to juggle the soaring demand for their services, while their own costs escalate and funding declines,” warns the campaign. “The decision to increase employer NICs across the charity sector – and not to create an exemption – will be another major strain on their limited resources.”

Find out more and co-sign the open letter here.

SAY HELLO TO BUZZACOTT

At Charity Intelligence, our website is completely free for charities to use. It matches them with professional services firms that specialise in advising not-for-profit organisations so they can achieve their goals.

Buzzacott is one of the latest specialists to join our growing database. A top 25 UK accountancy firm, it provides tailored expertise for private clients, businesses and charitable organisations.

Find the charity advisor you need at www.charityintelligence.co.uk

New investment consulting partnership launched to better support UK charities

A new partnership to help more charities access impartial investment advice has been launched.

The Charity Investment Consulting Partnership (CICP) brings together seven investment consultancy firms, including Charity Intelligence partner Broadstone.

Rachel Titchen , Charities and Investment Director at Broadstone and Chairman of CICP, said: “We want to ensure all charities are able to access investment support to manage their investments.

“We have seen many organisations missing out on valuable returns, particularly because of holding excess cash, and we believe one of the best ways to promote change is to increase education and collaboration amongst advisers. Setting up this partnership seemed the right step to do this.”

You can read more about the new partnership, who’s involved, and how it will work here.

LATEST QUARTERLY REPORT REVEALS CHARITY FUNDS' PERFORMANCE

Find out how your investments are doing in free download

Every quarter, our Charity Intelligence Funds Review helps charity boards make the right investment decisions for their organisations.

It’s FREE and the most comprehensive guide of its kind, detailing charity investment funds’ performance, costs, and other useful information. The latest issue – for Q3 2024 – is available for you to download now.

In the third quarter, markets proved to be more difficult and overall returns muted. While global equities gained, there was higher volatility on several occasions, notably in July. Concerns about inflation and potential interest rate hikes led to fluctuations, particularly in sectors sensitive to borrowing costs, like property and utilities. Given the continued geopolitical backdrop, asset price volatility was to be expected.

What does it mean for charity investments? The mixed asset charity funds mostly produced positive results over the quarter with the average rising by 1%. Funds taking a more cautious approach were not necessarily rewarded, although it was promising to see Ruffer’s Charity Assets Trust outperform its peers. Returns were generated by careful stock selection and asset allocation in what proved to be a difficult market for active investors.

Get all the details in the latest report download here.

Free insights to help you and your charity succeed

?How charities can support job sharing – https://bit.ly/3YAVNax

?Five-minute guides to help trustees thrive – https://bit.ly/3BVWuCE

? Impact reporting and finance: Is your charity getting it right? – https://bit.ly/3Y3341x

Just three of the FREE guides available on the Charity Intelligence website right now to help you and your organisation. Check them all out here.

HAPPY TRUSTEES' WEEK 2024!

Finally, a big shout out to all the brilliant trustees who give their time, energy and expertise to charities up and down the country. These voluntary organisations – that make such a positive difference to millions of lives – couldn’t exist with you.

It’s Trustees’ Week 2024 (4th to 8th November), a time to celebrate the achievements of nearly one million trustees across the UK and inspire others to consider becoming a trustee.

Find out everything you need to know about the week here, including events and updates, a supporter toolkit, trustee stories, and access to the Charity Commission’s 5-Minute Guides for trustees. ?