Joined-up support that helps us manage our charity with confidence

We needed a provider that could support our trustees across governance, finance and grant administration, giving us reliable information and practical support to help us manage the charity effectively.

Since appointing Beyond Profit in February 2020, we have had joined-up support across these areas. This has included improving our grant administration and helping us through a major restructuring that brought four separate charities together into one charitable incorporated organisation.

Finding the right support

When we decided to change providers, we were looking for dependable support across several connected areas of our work.

Some of our trustees had worked with Beyond Profit previously through other charities, so we already knew the team and had confidence in their experience and approach. This made Beyond Profit a natural choice when we were looking for a new provider.

Our trustees meet regularly to consider applications and decide how our available funds should be distributed. To do that effectively, we need good governance, reliable financial information and efficient administration.

Beyond Profit now supports our governance, finance and grant administration, giving us continuity across these important areas.

Practical support for our trustees

Beyond Profit acts as our charity secretary, supporting us before, during and after our trustee meetings.

The team organises meetings, prepares agendas and papers, takes minutes and follows up agreed actions. This gives our trustees confidence that important tasks are being followed through and that we have the practical support we need to meet our governance and compliance responsibilities.

We also receive regular financial information to support our decision-making.

At each trustee meeting, we receive a financial summary showing how much funding is available for grant awards, alongside full management accounts each quarter.

This means we can make decisions about grants with a clear understanding of the charity’s current financial position and the funds we have available to distribute.

Making our grant administration easier

We have also improved the way grant applications are administered.

Beyond Profit introduced an online grant application form, which has reduced paperwork and improved the consistency and quality of the information we receive.

Applications are now easier for our trustees to review, giving us clearer information on which to base our decisions. Once grants have been approved, Beyond Profit also takes care of administering the payments.

Together, these improvements have made the application and payment process easier to manage and have strengthened the information available to our trustees when considering applications.

Bringing four charities together

One of the most significant projects we have undertaken with Beyond Profit was the restructuring of the charity in 2022.

At the time, we were operating through four separate unincorporated charities. This created additional administration and meant our trustees did not have the legal protection that comes with an incorporated structure.

With Beyond Profit’s support, the four charities were brought together into a single charitable incorporated organisation (CIO).

Beyond Profit managed much of the work involved in the restructuring, including preparing our new constitution and coordinating specialist legal support where it was needed.

The result is a simpler structure, with one incorporated organisation through which we can carry out our work. This has reduced the administrative burden of managing four separate charities while also giving our trustees greater protection.

Reliable support we can depend on

Our relationship with Beyond Profit combines day-to-day practical support with the expertise needed for more significant projects when they arise.

For our trustees, that means having support with everything from meeting papers and minutes to financial reporting, grant applications and payments, as well as access to specialist charity-sector knowledge when we need it.

As Anna Addison, Chair of the Trustees, says:

“Very efficient and knowledgeable service. The CEO has a level of experience and expertise that is supported by a good team. This has had a significant impact on the charity and trustees enabling the development of a CIO and an improved governance framework.

Having our governance, finance and grant administration supported in a joined-up way gives us the information, administration and expertise we need to manage the charity effectively and make grant decisions with confidence.