Embrace Finance x The Fore Trust

Finance doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Our Small Charity Finance Booster Series is here to help you build confidence, revisit the basics, and strengthen your financial foundations. These refresher and introductory sessions are perfect for:


  • Staff or trustees who are new to managing charity finances.
  • Experienced professionals looking to reflect on their current practice.
  • Anyone keen to connect with peers facing similar challenges in similar organisations.


Each session goes back to the essentials, helping you understand the key finance jobs that keep your organisation sustainable and resilient. Expect a friendly, practical, and collaborative environment where you can learn, share, and grow your confidence in managing charity finances.

Programme materials


Session materials will be added to the relevant section after each session for you to download and keep.


The usual caveat


Please note that these sessions are not intended to replace proper professional support or advice. In all cases you will need to tailor these to your own organisation and you will need to revisit the primary guidance from the Charity Commission to satisfy yourself that these are what you need.

An introduction to Trustee Finance Duties


Do you understand your Trustee responsibilities when it comes to your charity’s finances? This practical 2-hour session will introduce you to your finance duties so that you can start to build firm foundations when it comes to fulfilling your role effectively.


We’ll cover:


  • Protecting the Money
  • Managing Payments to Trustees
  • Keeping Financial Records
  • Knowing the Financial Position
  • Managing Financial Difficulties Promptly


Whether you’re new to the role or need a refresher, this training is a great recap for any trustee committed to fulfiling their duties and building longer term financial resilience of their charity.


What you can expect:


  • Clear and practical guidance tailored to small charities.
  • Real-world examples and tools you can apply immediately.
  • A supportive environment to ask questions and share experiences.


Building stronger foundations - organisational resilience for small charities

 

How can small charities stay strong and adaptable in an ever-changing world? This 2-hour interactive workshop is designed to equip charity leaders with practical tools and insights to strengthen their organisations. Using the Lloyds Bank Foundation's Organisational Resilience Framework, we’ll explore the three critical pillars of resilience—Purpose, People, and Money—and delve into the 9 principles that support long-term resilience.

 

This session will combine expert guidance, peer discussions, and practical exercises to help you build resilience into the core of your organisation. Whether you’re looking to adapt to current challenges or future-proof your charity, this workshop is an opportunity to create a stronger, more resilient foundations.

 

We will explore:


  • The 3 pillars of Organisational Resilience
  • The 9 principles for putting this into practice
  • Top tips and common elephant traps

 

What you can expect:

 

  • Clear and practical guidance tailored to small charities.
  • Real-world examples and tools you can apply immediately.
  • A supportive environment to ask questions and share experiences.


Who delivers this session:


This session is delivered by Liz Pepler and Tom Watson. 


Liz is a charity resilience specialist, founder of Embrace Finance and co-founder of the Small Charity Friendly Collective. Liz is co-author of Lloyds Bank Foundation’s Organisational Resilience framework, co-author of the Association of Chair's Financial Leadership in Small Charities and finance trainer for NCVO. Liz is a practicing member at the Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers, holds a Masters in Charity Accounting and Financial Management (Dist) and a PG Certificate in Charity Administration. Liz is a fellow of the RSA.


Tom an established coach, advisor and occasional speaker. Tom runs The Good Ship, working as a partner from one-to-one development support, to systems-change and place-based programmes, alongside frontline groups and trusts & foundations, all grounded in Open Infrastructure and principles. Tom blends Data, Technology, Design and Strategy to help charities and social enterprises be more resilient and effective.


Liz Pepler, Embrace Finance and Tom Watson, The Good Ship are designers and deliverers of the Lloyds Bank Foundation's Organisational Resilience programme.