Knowledge Hub
Practical articles and guidance to help faith-based organisations navigate accounting, governance, compliance and more — in plain language. Browse by theme below.
Recently added
New19 August 2026
What the Charity Commission's latest Risk Assessment means for your charity
19 August 2026
The Employment Rights Act: what faith-based charities need to know as employers
17 August 2026
If the Commission appoints an interim manager: what it means and how to work through it
12 August 2026
Audit and independent examination thresholds are changing from 1 October 2026
Accounts, Gift Aid, reserves and financial reporting.
12 August 2026
From 1 October 2026 the income limits that decide whether a charity needs an audit, an independent examination, or neither are going up. For many faith-based charities this means less costly scrutiny — or, in some cases, none required by law. Here's what's changing and what to check.
3 August 2026
Gift Aid adds 25p to every £1 given — but only if you follow the rules and claim properly. A practical guide to what qualifies, the all-important declaration, how to claim through HMRC, record-keeping, GASDS, and the latest guidance.
31 July 2026
A detailed companion to our VAT overview. The business/non-business question, the reliefs and the paperwork you must get right, grants versus contracts, property and construction, partial exemption, and the latest HMRC guidance — for faith-based charities that want to get VAT right.
30 July 2026
The new Charities SORP 2026 is the biggest change to charity accounting in years — but it's built on a 'think small first' principle that's good news for smaller faith-based charities. What's changing, what it means for faith organisations, and how to get ready.
20 July 2026
The loose collection is one of the oldest forms of giving — and one of the riskiest to handle. Why every pound should be recorded as income and banked before any of it is spent, and how to manage cash collections in a way that protects your money, your volunteers and your Gift Aid.
16 July 2026
When a PCC can't meet its parish share, silence is the worst response. A practical guide for Church of England parishes on having an honest, evidenced conversation with the diocese — and how an independent review of your share can give that discussion objective, trusted footing.
14 July 2026
VAT is one of the most misunderstood areas of charity finance — and it has been changing. A plain-English guide to how VAT affects faith-based organisations, the reliefs worth knowing, and the recent HMRC changes to be aware of.
14 July 2026
Thousands of faith buildings are listed or historic — a gift and a burden. A practical guide to maintaining a heritage place of worship, the funding now available (including the big 2026 changes), and where to find support.
26 June 2026
Should your reserves reflect your values? Faith organisations are often pioneers of ethical investment. A plain-English guide to what the law allows — and how to raise it well with your trustees.
24 June 2026
When a long-serving treasurer steps down, a charity's financial knowledge can walk out of the door with them. A practical guide — and a handover checklist — to make the transition smooth and safe.
23 June 2026
If your faith organisation pays anyone, payroll and workplace-pension duties follow. A plain-English guide to PAYE, automatic enrolment, and the clergy-status question that trips people up.
19 June 2026
Year-end doesn't have to be a scramble. A practical, plain-English checklist to help treasurers of faith-based organisations get their records in order and hand over a clean set of figures.
7 June 2026
How to hold and account for a waqf with integrity — honouring both its founding intention and UK charity law. A guide for Muslim organisations and the trustees who steward them.
6 June 2026
A guide for Church of England parishes on what the parish share is, how to understand its impact on your finances, and how to have honest conversations with your congregation and diocese.
5 June 2026
Having a treasurer doesn't discharge the rest of the board. A short guide to why financial oversight is a shared duty, and how every trustee can carry their part of it.
2 June 2026
In most faith organisations the treasurer is an unpaid volunteer carrying real legal and personal weight. This is a guide for boards and faith leaders on the pressures they face — and how to support, sustain and succeed them well.
1 June 2026
A plain-English guide to the financial duties every trustee carries — from the duty of prudence to the new external scrutiny thresholds arriving in late 2026.
31 May 2026
How places of worship can claim a 25% top-up on cash and contactless collections — no declarations needed — plus the matching rule and community buildings allowance that trip people up.
30 May 2026
Why every faith-based charity needs a reserves policy, how to work out the right level for your circumstances, and how to explain it in your accounts.
20 May 2026
A plain-English guide to the main types of charity fund — what each one means, why the distinction matters, and how to keep them straight.
6 May 2026
Not every charity needs a full audit. Here's how to tell whether an independent examination is enough — and what each one actually involves.
22 April 2026
Gift Aid can add 25% to eligible donations at no extra cost to the giver. Here's how it works and how to claim with confidence.
Legal structures, trustee duties and staying compliant.
19 August 2026
The Charity Commission has published its second annual assessment of the biggest risks facing charities — from abuse of charitable status and safeguarding to fraud, extremism and the misuse of AI. It reads like a punishing list, but for trustees it's really a free health-check for your risk register. Here's what it found and what to do with it.
19 August 2026
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the biggest shake-up of employment law in a generation, and it's being phased in through 2026 and 2027. If your faith-based organisation employs even one person, here's what has already changed, what's coming — including a strengthened duty on harassment from October 2026 — and what to do now.
17 August 2026
An interim manager is one of the Charity Commission's strongest protective powers — but it isn't the end of the road. Here's what actually happens if one is appointed, what stays with the trustees, and how to work with an interim manager to get your charity back on a sound footing.
11 August 2026
A recent cyber incident at a major charity CRM provider has put data protection back in the spotlight. A practical guide for faith-based organisations: how to protect the personal data you hold, what to do if there's a breach, and whether you need to register with the ICO.
10 August 2026
Since February 2026, a change in the law lets charities send fundraising emails and texts to engaged supporters without prior consent — if strict conditions are met. What the 'charitable purposes soft opt-in' means for faith-based organisations, and how to use it safely.
10 August 2026
Overseas giving is under intense regulatory scrutiny, and many faith charities are unsure how to carry on their vital work safely. A companion to our guide on sending donations abroad — this one is about protecting your charity and its trustees, and giving defensibly in a climate of scrutiny.
6 August 2026
A recent Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling means a belief opposing Zionism can, in the right circumstances, be a protected belief under the Equality Act 2010 — placing some deeply-held convictions under a new legal lens. A neutral, factual explainer for faith-based organisations as employers: what it protects, what it doesn't, and why the task is awareness, not judgement.
16 July 2026
Faith organisations partner in a spirit of unity and mission — ecumenically and beyond — and can easily under-protect themselves in the process. A practical guide to assessing partnerships properly, getting ecumenical arrangements right, and protecting your organisation.
15 July 2026
A growing number of Muslim faith-based charities have had bank accounts frozen or closed with no reason given and no way to appeal — disrupting life-saving work. A look at why it happens, the frameworks behind it, and what charities can do.
15 July 2026
Following the 2025 Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of 'sex', the EHRC's updated statutory Code of Practice is about to come into force — with direct implications for single-sex and women-only spaces. A factual, practical guide for faith-based organisations. This is not legal advice — take professional advice.
15 July 2026
Giving beyond borders is at the heart of most faiths — but it's also the highest-risk area for charity compliance. A plain-English guide to sending donations abroad safely: due diligence, moving money, sanctions and counter-terrorism law.
3 July 2026
As AI can do more and more, the pressure to replace people grows. Why faith organisations are well placed to make a different choice — using AI with discernment to support colleagues, not to replace them.
28 June 2026
Covid tested faith communities like nothing in living memory. With the UK Covid-19 Inquiry warning the country was underprepared, here's how faith organisations can build the resilience to face the next one.
9 June 2026
AI is already in the building — in admin, communications and grant-writing. This is a guide to using it in a way that protects your beneficiaries' data, dignity and trust, and stays true to your values.
3 June 2026
Faith-based charities answer to two authorities at once — their theology and their regulator. This is a guide to holding both with integrity, and to why periodic review by a learned religious scholar alongside governance checks helps trustees serve congregation and compliance alike.
29 May 2026
An introduction to the main legal structures for faith-based organisations in the UK — trusts, charitable companies, CIOs and CICs — and how to think about which fits.
Protecting your people and your premises.
10 August 2026
The CST is a charity that provides security support to the UK's Jewish community and administers the Government's Jewish community security grant. A practical guide to what CST does, the funding it administers, and how Jewish faith organisations can draw on it.
20 July 2026
A recent report found mosques being attacked at a rate of roughly one every five days. A practical, supportive guide for mosques and Muslim community organisations: how to keep your building safe, protect your congregation, respond to hate crime — and, crucially, the funding and support you can access.
16 July 2026
Supporting refugees and asylum seekers can attract online hostility, misinformation and even protest. A practical guide for faith organisations on keeping vulnerable service users safe, protecting your organisation and staff, securing your building, and handling a social media storm — so you can keep going.
14 July 2026
From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption is removed from the definition of regulated activity with children. It's not a technical DBS tweak — it's a significant shift in how we treat volunteers. Here's what it means for faith-based organisations, and what to do before September.
17 June 2026
With religious hate crime at record levels, faith leaders need to protect their buildings and reassure frightened congregations. A practical guide to the funded security schemes available and the pastoral response that matters just as much.
12 June 2026
Safeguarding is a living practice, not a binder on a shelf. A guide for faith-based trustees on keeping policy and practice current — and on the duty to report serious incidents.
4 June 2026
A plain-English guide to the right level of background check for roles working with children or vulnerable adults — and the major September 2026 change to regulated activity that affects faith settings.
Leading well, caring for people and building for the future.
30 July 2026
Stewardship is one of the ideas that runs through every faith — the conviction that we are custodians, not owners. A reflection on what stewardship means across traditions, what it means to steward your organisation well, and the faith-based support available to help.
17 July 2026
The Church of England's General Synod has voted to stand in solidarity with Palestinian Christians and to 'hear' their testimony — while being clear that hearing is not endorsing. A practical, non-partisan guide to creating a safe space where a church can hold these difficult conversations well.
17 July 2026
Faith organisations run on the dedication of staff and volunteers — and that very dedication can hide burnout and neglected wellbeing. A practical guide to what faith-based organisations can do to support the health and wellbeing of the people who do the work.
2 July 2026
Welcoming the stranger, the traveller and the needy is one of the oldest commands in every faith. In a polarised age, this reflects on that shared tradition — and how faith communities can live it wisely and lawfully.
1 July 2026
Faith communities long to welcome everyone — but barriers keep many disabled and Deaf people out. A practical guide to removing them, from ramps and hearing loops to BSL and a genuine culture of belonging.
30 June 2026
As heatwaves grow more frequent and deadly, faith buildings can become life-saving cool refuges — the summer counterpart to the winter warm space. A practical guide to offering shelter from the heat well.
29 June 2026
Youth services have been gutted, leaving a generation with nowhere to go. Faith communities have the buildings, people and trust to help rebuild the youth club network — here's how to put those assets to work well.
27 June 2026
Every tradition commands care for those in need — but each has developed its own distinctive wisdom. A respectful look at what faith communities can learn from each other when they respond to poverty and hardship.
25 June 2026
Four decades after Faith in the City, poverty and foodbanks are again at the centre of faith communities' work. A look at where we are in 2026 — and what every tradition can learn from the others about responding with dignity.
22 June 2026
From almshouses to food banks, faith communities have launched and platformed much of the voluntary sector. A look at that tradition — and how to help a faith-born project grow into a lasting organisation.
21 June 2026
The NHS 10 Year Health Plan moves care closer to home and leans on community partners to do it. A practical look at how faith-based organisations can support neighbourhood health — and why they're well placed to.
20 June 2026
Thinking about exploring interfaith activity and community cohesion? A practical, neutral guide to starting interfaith conversations well — the ground rules that keep them safe, honest and fruitful.
19 June 2026
Faith organisations lean heavily on a loyal, ageing band of volunteers — and the pool is shrinking. A practical guide to valuing the volunteers you have and genuinely engaging younger people.
18 June 2026
Faith-based organisations have long been engines of community life — but the work is at its best when it's done with people, not to them. A reflection on the contribution, the lessons of the past, and how to do it well.
15 June 2026
Where a tradition restricts certain leadership roles by sex, trustees must navigate equality law, governance and pastoral care. A neutral guide to the legal landscape — not the theology.
14 June 2026
Theological difference within a community is natural — but it can destabilise a board if doctrine and governance get tangled. A guide for mosques on keeping the two distinct.
13 June 2026
Faith leaders are called to steady and support divided communities — without breaching charity law on political activity. A guide to the line between speaking to the issues and party politics.
12 June 2026
One of the most painful and divisive issues of our time. A non-partisan guide to how faith-based organisations can discuss it, and support those who wish to help, safely, lawfully and with care for every member.
11 June 2026
Families often disengage from faith communities for practical reasons, not spiritual ones. A guide to lowering the everyday barriers that quietly keep families away.
10 June 2026
Faith organisations often run on a handful of irreplaceable people. A guide to deliberately growing, equipping and handing over to the leaders who come next — before you have to.
8 June 2026
Stewardship of creation is a shared faith value — and reaching net zero is achievable in stages. A practical, multi-faith checklist for places of worship, with recognised schemes to plug into.