Blog
Insights for stronger charities and social enterprises
Our blog brings together practical advice, insights and updates from across the charity and social enterprise sector. Each post is written to help boards, leaders and fundraisers strengthen their organisations and increase impact – with clarity and good governance at the heart of it all.
Explore our latest posts below – or subscribe for new articles straight to your inbox.
What skills do you need on your trustee board?
One of the most common requests we receive from clients is to help them conduct a Trustee skills audit to inform board development. This short article explores what skills are needed for a good Trustee board.
Employee volunteering is on the rise
Employer supported volunteering is a rapidly growing phenomenon. In our view there should be much more of it.
Non-profit leaders should look after their own wellbeing too
Two recent events we attended have made us reflect on the importance of personal as well as organisational resilience in the non-profit sector.
ESG is irrelevant to small not-for-profits - right?
Large companies are required to publish an annual ESG report (Environmental, Social, Governance) and many medium sized businesses are also getting on board with ESG. What might this mean for small and medium sized charities?
New online safety laws could impact small charities
Implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023 will begin in 2024. How could it affect small charities and social enterprises?
A recruitment crisis for charities?
Despite well documented challenges with fundraising, we’re seeing a growing number of clients for whom funding isn’t the main constraint on their growth. What‘s really holding them back is a shortage of skilled staff. This short article explores this issue in a little more depth.
Can small charities benefit from AI?
There’s a lot of hype around about AI and how it can transform just about anything. But what could this mean for small local charities?
Are charities doing enough on race equality?
The most recent Good Merger Index report shows that charity mergers are at an all time low, confounding post-pandemic expectations. Given the perfect storm facing many charities, is now the time charities should be thinking about mergers.
Is your charity considering a merger or should it be?
As we approach the end of Race Equality Week 2024, this short article reflects on whether charities are doing enough to address race equality in their governance and workforce.
Why do people trust charities (and why do some not)?
This short article reflects on the implications of the Charity Commission’s recent report on public trust in charities and the role and experience of trustees.
Charity reserves and fundraising
This brief article explore the impact of a charity’s reserves on fundraising and what you can do about it.
We wish you a peaceful and restful Christmas and New Year
Wishing you a peaceful and restful Christmas and New Year from everyone at Almond Tree strategic Consulting Limited
My small charity is safe from fraud, right?
A recent report shows fraud against charities is on the rise and it’s not just the big charities that are being targeted.
Charities: incorporated or unincorporated?
Since CIOs were brought into being in late 2012, there’s been a trend towards incorporation of existing charities, but is this always the right option to choose?
A perfect storm for small charities?
Rising demand and falling funding: two reports release within a few days of each other suggest the perfect storm may be brewing for small charities.
How to convert a CIC into a CIO
We are increasingly being asked to support Community Interest Companies (CICs) to convert into Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs), so we thought a short article on what is involved might be helpful.
Running a start up charity
There’s lots of advice out there on setting up a new charity, choosing the right legal structure and objects, finding Trustees, opening bank accounts etc, but very little on the challenges you’ll face once the charity is registered. This short articles provides some top tips for making a successful start for a new charity.
Ten top tips for small charities working with a consultant
Many of our small charity clients have never worked with consultants before and we aim to make it as easy as possible for them to do business with us. In collaboration with our associate Ruth Dwight, we have put together 10 top tips for getting the most out of a small consultancy support package.
Why you and we love small, local charities
We’ve long believed that smaller, local charities are the glue that binds communities together and where the sector is at its best in making a positive difference to people’s lives. Two recent reports suggest we’re not alone in that view.
What is a CASC and what's the point?
Much of the debate around not-for-profit organisations centres on issues like whether to register as a charity, CIC or some other type of organisation (such as a community benefit society). The option of registering as a Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) is often overlooked. This short articles provides more information on that option.