The Charity Finance Group

What The Charity Finance Group does

Charity Finance Group (CFG) is a UK membership organisation serving charity finance professionals, founded in 1987 and headquartered in London. Registered as a charity in England and Wales (No. 1054914) and Scotland (No. SC052037), and structured as a company limited by guarantee (CFDG Trading Limited, Company Number 0681064), CFG operates as a non-profit rather than a venture-backed entity.

Its core proposition is an organisation-wide annual membership covering charities of all sizes, tiered by annual gross income from £112/year for small charities under £100k to £2,200/year for charities with income over £25m. Members receive access to seven Special Interest Groups, six expert helplines (accounting, HR, legal, pensions, property, recruitment) delivered through partnerships with Crowe, Mills & Reeve, MHA, Russell-Cooke, Spence & Partners and others, a Knowledge Hub of 600+ content pieces, the CFG Podcast, a peer mentoring scheme, and the Inspiring Financial Leadership course co-developed with Sayer Vincent and Bayes Business School. CFG runs over 100 events per year, including its flagship Annual Conference (500+ attendees, 60% senior finance decision-makers), and supplements membership revenue with corporate partnerships, event ticketing, sponsorship, the Transformation Collaborative paid leadership programme, job advertising referrals via Third Sector Jobs, and energy-switching commissions via Utility Aid. The organisation has approximately 20–25 staff and is led by Co-CEOs Sarah Lomax (Commercial Services) and Clare Mills (Policy & Communications), following Caron Bradshaw OBE's October 2025 transition from CEO to Growth and Sector Solutions Lead after 15 years in the role.

CFG's reach spans over 1,450 member charities collectively managing £22bn of funds — roughly one-third of the entire UK charity sector's income — giving it institutional standing as the default professional community for UK charity finance.

Name

The Charity Finance Group

Legal name

CFDG Trading Limited

Website

https://cfg.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charity Finance Group is a UK membership organisation providing charity finance professionals with events, expert helplines, knowledge resources, special interest groups, training and policy advocacy. Founded in 1987, it serves over 1,450 charities collectively managing £22bn of funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Charity Membership Fees: CFG earns revenue from annual organisational membership fees from charity members, tiered by gross income (ranging from approximately £112/year for small charities under £100k to £2,200/year for charities with income over £10m). Membership covers entire organisations.
2. Corporate Partnership Fees: Corporate membership fees, tiered by income brackets of the corporate entity, generate recurring revenue. Fees apply to the whole organisation.
3. Transformation Collaborative: The 'Transforming You' element of the Transformation Collaborative is a paid-for programme with fees based on organisational annual income. This supports TTC's activities and wider policy work.
4. Job Advertising: CFG earns referral commissions through its partnership with Third Sector Jobs for job advertising, with discounted rates for CFG members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

CFG is a UK membership organization for charity finance professionals, selling organization-wide annual memberships to charities and corporate suppliers. Core deliverables include access to a Knowledge Hub (600+ content pieces), an Annual Conference and 100+ training events per year, free expert helplines (accounting, HR, legal, pensions, property, recruitment, insolvency) delivered through partner firms, Special Interest Groups, a peer mentoring scheme, the paid Transformation Collaborative leadership programme, and the Inspiring Financial Leadership course. Membership is tiered by charity gross income (£112–£2,200/year) and covers all staff, volunteers, and trustees.

Product overview

The Charity Finance Group (CFG) is a membership organization for charity finance professionals, not a traditional software product company. CFG operates as a platform of interconnected services and programmes supporting financial management excellence in the UK charity sector. The core offerings include the Knowledge Hub (with over 600 content pieces, CFG Publications, and the CFG Podcast), an annual events and training programme (100+ events including the flagship Annual Conference), Expert Helplines (accounting, HR, legal, pensions, property, recruitment), Special Interest Groups (Large Charities, Overseas, Grantmaking, Arts/Museums, Finance Leaders, Turnaround, Sustainability, Procurement), the Peer Mentoring Scheme, Guides for Small Charities (free resources), Gift Aid Resource Hub, Net Zero guide series, and the Transformation Collaborative leadership programme. Membership tiers include Charity Membership (organization-wide, fee based on income), Small Charities Programme (£112+), and Corporate Membership for business partners. CFG also runs annual awards, campaigns (Gift Aid Awareness Day, Counter Fraud Pledge), SORP training clinics, and maintains a Supplier Directory and Community Accountant finder. These services are offered as a unified membership proposition rather than discrete software modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The CFG Podcast: Charity finance podcast bringing together a unique community of charity finance professionals, leaders and experts to explore important issues in charity finance and the sector.
• CFG Awards

Products and services

• Charity Membership Organisational membership for UK charities of all sizes, with annual fees tiered by gross income (£112–£2,200/year). Membership covers all staff, volunteers, and trustees at the member charity and unlocks the Knowledge Hub, helplines, events, Special Interest Groups, mentoring, policy updates, and job advertising discounts.
• Small Charities Programme Membership Tailored membership tier for small charities (income under £1m), starting at £112/year, including free expert helplines, full Knowledge Hub access, member-only events, mentoring scheme, and network access.
• Corporate Membership Corporate partnership programme for businesses serving the charity sector (accountancy firms, banks, consultancies, law firms, HR/recruitment, IT, insurance, property). Provides networking, speaking, hosting, exhibiting, and sponsorship opportunities at the Annual Conference, helpline provision, and training delivery.
• Events and Training Programme Over 100 events per year including the flagship Annual Conference (500+ attendees, including 60% senior finance decision-makers), Investment Conference, Digital and Technology Conference, Foundation Investment Training, SORP clinics, and member meetings. Ticketed with member discounts.
• Expert Helplines Free telephone helplines for members providing expert advice on accounting and tax (Crowe), HR and employment law (Mills & Reeve), insolvency and financial difficulties (MHA), general legal (Russell-Cooke), pensions (Spence & Partners), property (Charity Property Help, Ethical Property Foundation), and recruitment (Goodman Masson). Some helplines (property, financial difficulties) are also open to non-members.
• Special Interest Groups (SIGs) Seven member-only communities for specific sub-segments of the charity sector: Large Charities SIG (income over £25m), Overseas SIG (run in partnership with Humentum for INGOs), Grantmaking SIG, Arts and Museums SIG, Finance Leaders Discussion Forum, Turnaround SIG, Sustainability SIG, and Charity Sector Procurement Group.
• Peer Mentoring Scheme Free member benefit matching mentors and mentees from the charity finance sector, developed with leadership coach Nicki Deeson. Includes training webinars, regular 'Mentoring Motivation' sessions, and an alumni network.
• Inspiring Financial Leadership Course Leadership development course for charity finance professionals and leaders, run in partnership with Sayer Vincent and Bayes Business School. Helps participants develop the skills needed to advance as sector leaders.
• The Transformation Collaborative Leadership programme bringing social sector leaders together through the paid 'Transforming You' peer groups (for £10m+ income organisations, with action learning sets of up to 8 peers, 8 sessions/year) and free 'Transforming Our Sector' quarterly meetings and annual summit.
• CFG Publications Research reports, survey results, and guidance documents published by CFG covering topics such as 'Know Your Cost Base' (with HaysMac), Gift Aid barriers, SORP requirements, and risk management recommendations submitted to the Charity Commission in June 2026.
• The CFG Podcast Charity finance podcast series featuring conversations with sector professionals on SORP, AI, pensions, reserves, digital transformation, and leadership. Available on Audioboom, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Open to all (not restricted to members).
• Job Advertising Packages Job advertising through CFG's exclusive partnership with Third Sector Jobs (Haymarket). Packages include Finance Specialist Finder Lite (£495 for members vs £1,100 rate card), Standard (£645 vs £1,613), and Plus (£845 vs £2,415). Members save up to 65%. Trustee, treasurer, and volunteer roles can be advertised free.
• CFG Awards

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of CFG members are satisfied with the benefits, resources and support services
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

27 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• CrowecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCrowe provides the accounting and tax helpline for CFG members, covering accounting and auditing standards, governance, risk management, strategy, financial management, tax and VAT, and presentation of accounts. Naziar Hashemi, Head of Social Purpose and Non-Profits at Crowe's London office, is the primary contact.
• Mills & ReevecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMills & Reeve provides the HR and employment law helpline for CFG members. The firm offers 30 minutes of free initial advice on employment grievances, disciplinary matters, contracts, equal pay, redundancy, pensions, and more.
• MHAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMHA's specialist Restructuring and Recovery team provides a free helpline for CFG members on mounting debts, reduced cash flow, rising income gaps, and financial difficulties. Open to non-members as well.
• Russell-CookecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRussell-Cooke provides a free general legal advice telephone helpline for CFG members on issues including governance, contracting, fundraising, mergers, employment, data protection, safeguarding, and property.
• Spence & PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpence & Partners, specialist charity pensions advisors led by David Davison, provide a pensions helpline for CFG members covering multi-employer pension schemes, defined benefit queries, defined contribution schemes, and salary sacrifice arrangements.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) / Charity Property HelpsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCharity Property Help is a pro bono initiative run by RICS, CFG, and NCVO. Provides free initial guidance on property disputes, planning issues, repair disputes, landlord/tenant matters, and property strategy. Open to all.
• Ethical Property FoundationsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe UK's property advice charity for the voluntary sector (sole referral partner to the Charity Commission since 2015). Provides free tailored property advice and online guidance for CFG members, plus affordable consultancy services.
• Goodman MassonsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGoodman Masson provides a recruitment and retention helpline for CFG members covering the full recruitment process, staff retention strategies, succession planning, and diversity in hiring.
• Third Sector Jobs / HaymarketcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCFG's exclusive partnership with Third Sector Jobs (Haymarket) enables job advertising for charity finance roles. 110,000 monthly users; weekly bulletin to 2,200 CFG members. CFG members receive up to 65% discount on advertising rates. Any vacancy placed on Third Sector Jobs also appears on CFG's website.
• HSBC Private BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHSBC Private Bank is the headline sponsor of CFG's Annual Conference 2026. Sophie Ward from HSBC Private Bank participated in a speaking session on conference theme 'Empowering Change, Inspiring Progress'.
• Unit4supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerUnit4 is the sponsor of the 'Best Use of Technology in Finance' award category at the CFG Awards 2026.
• NatWest and JS GroupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNatWest and JS Group jointly sponsor the 'Rising Star in Charity Finance' award category at the CFG Awards 2026.
• Lloyds Bank FoundationsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerLBF's partnership with CFG enables LBF member charities to join CFG for free. LBF Regional Managers facilitate introductions to CFG membership.
• Association of Independent Museums (AIM)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCFG's partnership with AIM allows AIM members to join CFG for free. AIM members can register via cfg.org.uk/aim.
• HumentumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSSIG (Overseas Special Interest Group) is run in partnership between CFG and Humentum, supporting the INGO (international non-governmental organisation) community and finance professionals working in or for charities operating overseas.
• CAF BanksupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAF Bank collaborated with CFG on podcast content about digital transformation. Alison Taylor and Richard Hunt from CAF Bank discussed the bank's digital changes on the CFG podcast (Autumn/Winter 2025 episode).
• Comic Relief and XledgersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerComic Relief and Xledger (finance system provider) partnered with CFG for a speaking session at CFG's 2026 conference on 'Three years on: Lessons from Comic Relief's digital transformation'.
• Nicki Deeson (Leadership Coach)supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNicki Deeson, a leadership coach and executive mentor with 30 years of charity finance experience and 1,000+ hours of certified coaching, developed the CFG Peer Mentoring Scheme and provides mentor training.
• Pro Bono EconomicssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFG and Pro Bono Economics co-produce the Economic Outlook Briefing, providing an overview of economic conditions and policy for the charity sector.
• IsiosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsio partnered with CFG to produce a series on sustainable investment for charities, providing expert content on implementing a layered approach to sustainable investment.
• Sayer VincentsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSayer Vincent co-developed the Inspiring Financial Leadership course with CFG, providing charity finance professionals with leadership development. Judith Miller from Sayer Vincent co-leads the programme.
• HaysMacsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFG partnered with HaysMac to produce 'Know Your Cost Base 2026', a practical framework publication for charity finance leaders on understanding and calculating cost base.
• The Risk CollaborativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFG and The Risk Collaborative co-authored 'Rethinking Risk: Recommendations for a CC26 Refresh', a report submitted to the Charity Commission in June 2026 with evidence-based recommendations for risk management guidance.
• Utility AidsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCFG partnered with Utility Aid to provide members with a free energy comparison tool. Members can access free single-meter and multi-meter comparisons to find better tariffs. CFG receives a commission when members switch via the referral tool.
• NCVOsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFG works with NCVO on shared policy initiatives including Charity Property Help (pro bono property advice) and broader charity sector advocacy. Sarah Vibert, CEO of NCVO, appeared on the CFG Podcast discussing charity reserves.
• ACEVOsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFG collaborates with ACEVO on policy and sector-wide initiatives. Jane Ide, CEO of ACEVO, appeared on the CFG Podcast alongside NCVO and CFG CEOs to discuss charity reserves.
• Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLPsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHerbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP hosts CFG's Charity Sector Procurement Group meetings, providing venue space for the group's hybrid meetings (held on Microsoft Teams and at the firm's London office).

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Humentum: International membership organisation supporting NGOs and INGOs with operational, finance, and compliance capacity building. CFG partners with Humentum on the OSSIG (Overseas SIG), and the two compete for international charity finance professionals operating in or from the UK.
• CIPFA (Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy): UK-based professional accountancy body focused on public sector and public service finance, including significant charity and non-profit content. CIPFA provides training, qualifications, and resources that overlap with CFG's charity finance training and policy advocacy.
• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK umbrella body for the voluntary sector providing membership, training, policy advocacy, and resources to voluntary organisations. CFG and NCVO actively collaborate on policy initiatives (e.g., Charity Property Help) but compete for the same charity membership audience and sector influence.
• CharityComms: UK membership organisation for charity communications professionals. Operates as a peer professional body in the charity sector, providing training, events, and resources in a similar model to CFG but focused on communications rather than finance.
• ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations): Membership association for charity and voluntary sector CEOs and senior leaders in the UK. ACEVO overlaps directly with CFG's Transformation Collaborative and senior leadership programming, competing for the same high-value charity executive audience.
• Charity Retail Association: UK membership trade association representing charity retailers. Operates a similar membership and advocacy model to CFG but focused on the retail sub-sector of the charity industry, with overlapping membership of finance professionals in charity retail organisations.
• Small Charities Coalition: UK membership organisation specifically supporting small charities with training, resources, and guidance. Directly overlaps with CFG's Small Charities Programme and competes for the same small-charity membership audience at the £112+ entry tier.

Broad incumbents

• ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales): Major UK accountancy body with a dedicated Charity and Voluntary Sector Community. ICAEW provides training, qualifications, and technical resources that overlap with CFG's SORP guidance and charity finance content, though it serves a much broader professional audience.
• Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT): UK professional body for accounting technicians with members working across all sectors including charities. AAT provides qualifications and resources that compete with CFG's finance training offerings for charity finance staff, particularly at the small charity level where AAT-qualified staff are common.
• ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants): Global accountancy body serving members in the UK and internationally. ACCA offers resources and qualifications relevant to charity finance professionals, creating partial overlap with CFG's training and CPD offerings for finance staff working in the third sector.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeaudioboom.com/channels/4987237
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charity-finance-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Charity Finance Group