Day 1 – Basics of Financial Stewardship & Ethics

Foundations of Stewardship and Accountability

• Principles of stewardship in churches/charities

• Ethical use of resources and transparency

• Accountability to donors, members, and trustees

Core Financial Reporting

• Restricted vs. unrestricted funds

• Trustee roles and financial oversight

• Introduction to financial reports

Practical Applications and Case Work

• Setting up simple accounting systems

• Identifying risks from poor stewardship

• Group discussions on ethical dilemmas

Day 2 – Budgeting, Financial Controls & Donor Accountability

Building Effective Budgets

• Purpose and structure of budgets

• Planning income and expenditure cycles

• Aligning budgets with organisational goals

Financial Controls and Safeguards

• Segregation of duties and fraud prevention

• Role of internal controls

• Donor reporting requirements and transparency

Applied Learning and Group Exercise

• Preparing a budget and accountability report

• Case studies on financial mismanagement

• Interactive group activity: building donor trust

Day 3 – Advanced Forecasting, Reporting & Multi-Currency Management

Forecasting for Sustainability

• Financial forecasting models

• Managing seasonal donation and grant cycles

• Anticipating cashflow challenges

Advanced Reporting Standards

• Charity SORP requirements

• Preparing management accounts

• Ensuring clarity and comparability in reports

Hands-On Workshop

• Designing a financial forecast model

• Scenario-based learning on multi-currency donations

• Group exercise on managing international transfers

Day 4 – Compliance, Taxation & Future-Ready Finance

Regulatory and Compliance Essentials

• HMRC rules and Gift Aid claims

• Safeguarding donor funds

• Legal responsibilities of trustees

Risk and Tax Management

• Common taxation issues for charities

• Preparing for audits

• Risk management frameworks

Innovation and Future Scope

• Leveraging AI, blockchain, and fintech tools

• Digital transformation for transparency

• Group discussion: futureproofing financial systems