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About Us

Charity Business is the leading provider of outsourced financial back office services to the charity and not for profit sector in the UK. Formed in 1999 the company has grown substantially year-on-year through a focus on outsourced financial and strategic consultancy services.

Charity Business was formed by the Chief Executive, Mark Freeman to have the maximum positive impact on the charity sector, improving efficiency and effectiveness by reducing administrative costs and giving the ability to generate accurate information and reporting.  

As Charity Business has evolved over the past 10 years the business has grown resulting in an opportunity in 2009 to introduce a new shareholder, Triodos Opportunities Fund, which is aligned with the not for profit sector.  Charity Business is proud of the fact that it was the first investment by the fund whilst at the same time being able to realise on its desire to have a bigger impact on the not for profit sector. The main shareholders of the business are:


Triodos Opportunities Fund

Mark Freeman

Valerie Austin

Employee Management Incentive Scheme

Charity Business now boasts a unique combination of management experience and charity sector expertise to bring a new style of charity finance to its clients, allowing them to make significant savings and improvements. The Board consists of five members (Chief Executive, four Non-Executive Directors including a Non-Executive Chairman), while the Senior Management team includes the Head of Operations and the Head of Sales. 

We currently service in excess of 110 not for profit clients including well known charity brands such as Age Concern, EnCams (Keep Britain Tidy) and The National Trust.   As well Charity Business is working with a number of Student Unions around the United Kingdom.  Charity Business only works with the not for profit sector although stays closely in touch with what is going on in the commercial sector keeping up to date with trends and new services and products.Our services are also aimed to ease the burden of regulatory reporting to the Charity Commission, Inland Revenue and other regulatory bodies.  We have done this through developing high quality financial procedures, systems, reports and a streamlined finance functions.  We use automation to increase savings to our clients whilst at the same time maintaining high levels of internal controls over the day to day transactions.

From its inception Charity Business aimed to work with the not for profit sector to develop solutions for the sector.  We have developed a number of partnering relationships with third parties, such as Charity Technology Trust, Utility Aid, CaSE Insurance, and Home Call Centre to be able to offer a comprehensive service range.   Whilst Charity Business believes it is important to be able to over a range a solutions it is also conscious of it’s the social impact that it desires to have within the not for profit sector and therefore has developed a number of sector specific relationships to ensure that education it provides to the sector is able to be accessed by the organisation that required it.  To do this Charity Business has become a preferred supplier and consultant to NCVO and has developed a seminar series in associations with ACEVO.

 


Charity Business Timeline

2009

Agreed a 60 seminar series with ACEVO over 3 years

Accreditation by Investors in People awarded

Chip & Pin devices are made available to the charity sector to support events/conferences

Finalised a new capital investment of £320,000 with Triodos Opportunities Fund

Research is published into the potential of outsourcing within the charity sector

Appointment of Professor Paul Palmer to Board

Charity Business Rebrands

2008

Launch of new web site

Launch of new fully managed debit & credit card services

New partnership with energy specialists Utility Aid

2007

Appointment of Tracey Reddings to Board

Move to Kembrey Park Business Park (6,200 sq ft)

2006

Appointment as Internal Auditors for The Institute of Physics

Swindon College LogoPartners with for professional staff development programme

2005

New services - Internal Audit & Investment Management

Partnership with CAF Bank for banking services

Partnership with HW for audit services

2004

Expansion of staff resources & Board

Appointment of Non-Executive Chairman

First major outsourcing contract with Students’ Union

2003

Move to new office in Swindon West (3,000 sq ft)

Consultancy contract with WWFNCVO Recommended Supplier 2009

Preferred supplier

2002

Second major outsourcing contract worth £50,000

Second large consultancy contract with Historic Royal Palaces

2001

ACEVO LogoPreferred supplier

First outsourcing contract worth £20,000

2000

1st large contract – British Red Cross Society

1999

Charity Business formed

Outsourcing feasibility study   undertaken