Part-time, short term volunteer assignments designed to give charities with limited resources access to qualified accounting expertise. An excellent way for accountants to give back and pick up rewarding experience in the not-for-profit sector.
Our partner is a legal charity committed to alleviating poverty and helping citizens create a fairer and more just society, by providing free, community based legal advice on issues affecting the day-to-day lives of people living in North Wales.
They are seeking a new Treasurer, with suitable accounting and finance experience as well as energy and enthusiasm, to provide board level insight and scrutiny of financial plans, processes and decision making.
The post holder will inspect and authorise fortnightly payments, review and approve the organisations financial statements, and oversee financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress. Previous governance experience is not required, and a full induction and training will be provided.
The board meets 4-6 times a year, usually remotely in the evening, with one annual in-person away day in North Wales. The total estimated time commitment required for the role is approximately 5 hours per month.
Our partner works in partnership with local Ethiopian organisations to enable sustainable change, with a key focus on maternal health, education, and opportunities for women and girls, people living with disabilities and the vulnerable.
They are seeking a new Finance Trustee to provide scrutiny and oversight of the work of the organisation, with a particular focus on financial issues. They are keen to hear from suitably qualified professionals with an interest in international development and the issues they are supporting their partners to tackle in Ethiopia.
You will use your financial knowledge and experience to review the charity’s management accounts, assisting the CEO and Senior Finance Manager in achieving the charity’s financial targets, as well as providing Board oversight of the annual audited accounts process.
The Board meets quarterly, with two being held virtually and two in central London, usually between 4 and 6pm with dates agreed at the beginning of the year. Occasionally you may be called upon to support the CEO or Senior Finance Manager with a particular issue between Board meetings.
Our partner is a UK-based charity dedicated to enhancing access to higher education for refugees, empowering them to shape and lead programs that improve university access by removing the barriers to higher education.
They require an Independent Examination of their accounts to be completed by early March, in preparation for their Annual Report and subsequent submission to the Charity Commission.
They are seeking a suitably qualified volunteer, able to undertake IEs for organisations with an income over £250k in line with Charity Commission guidelines and the requirements of the Charities Act 2011, and they are ideally looking for someone who has undertaken an Independent Examination previously.
The accounts have been prepared in QuickBooks and their record keeping is good, and as a small NGO there are not a huge amount of transactions. This task has been smoothly completed through the support of volunteers in the past, and it is estimated that it can be undertaken within 1 to 3 days.
Our partner is an international development and relief organisation, working alongside local partners to help communities uncover their own solutions and their own potential to tackle extreme poverty.
They are at a stage where they need to review their current Sage accounting system and investment in it, and are seeking the support of a systems expert to support them in making the right decision for an accounting system that is fit for purpose and fit for the future for their organisational financial information needs.
The volunteer will review the current use of their accounting programme, making recommendation on how to get the most out of the current system, advise on possible technological solutions and automation to reduce workload, and advise on the suitability of current systems and recommend alternatives where appropriate.
They are seeking a volunteer well-experienced with accounting systems review, and implementation, and automation of accounting and reporting processes, preferably in the charity/INGO sector.
Our partner is an international non-profit that contributes to the protection of human rights defenders throughout the world, providing them with tools to manage their own security in the face of risks, threats and attacks.
They are seeking a Treasurer, with previous Board level experience in an international or regional organisation, to oversee all aspects of their finances and to keep their International Board up to speed on the financial health of the organisation so that they can make better decisions.
The Treasurer will be part of a multi-national and diverse group of experts who collectively work towards the improvement of the protection of human rights defenders throughout the world. The postholder will guide and advise the International Board in the approval and review of annual budgets, accounts, financial statements, and advise them on the financial implications of their decisions. The Treasurer will also provide strategic advice to support the Management Team and the Head of Finance and Administration.
The International Board meets 4-6 times per year, in online/ hybrid meetings lasting four hours (two hours over two days), typically on Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday afternoons. There will also be regular meetings with the Head of Finance and Administration as required.
SMV Wheels, India
Our partner is a US based non-profit training communities and caregivers to provide nurturing responsive care and early education so that vulnerable young children can thrive in low-resource settings across Asia.
They have identified the need to launch an organisation-wide risk assessment (a draft policy is ready for review and a risk registry is drafted based on initial input), and are seeking the support of an expert volunteer to advise and help set out overall guidance, review the assessment and to help them confirm final key risks to report to the Board, as well as to build up control self-testing procedures for on-going monitoring.
Through the support of a volunteer the overall objective of the placement is for the organisation to have a comprehensive risk assessment report, with the ability to produce annual updates, and executable control self-testing procedures.
The ideal volunteer would have good experience of organisational risk assessment and/or internal controls / internal audit, as well as exposure to US charities fundraising for and operating international programs.
Our partner works with communities near Lake Kyaninga and the surrounding Kyaninga Forest in Uganda, to conserve and protect both the forest and other important ecosystems such as rivers, swamps and lakes.
Having become a larger and more complex organisation over the last several years, they are seeking the support of a volunteer to review their current financial management processes and policies and to help build the financial management capacity of both their Accountant and Programme Manager.
They would be seeking a report outlining recommendations for strengthening their systems, potentially including advice on which accounting software to use. This remote project is likely to be followed by an in-person placement, to help implement the new system.
Experience of reviewing the financial processes of small overseas NGOs, as well as experience of accounting using MSExcel and software such as QuickBooks would be highly valuable.
Our partner works in highland communities in Guatemala, supporting indigenous women by facilitating technical and educational training on topics that range from civic participation, entrepreneurship, nutrition, and community resilience.
They are seeking the support of a volunteer as they develop internal control mechanisms to account for and report activities that are associated with Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors.
Through the support of an AfID volunteer, they are looking to achieve:
Our partner is a network of NGOs, academics, businesses and individuals who work together to reduce global inequality and its causes, developing innovative solutions to global challenges through frontier science and technology.
They are looking for a new Treasurer to their established Board of Trustees, seeking an individual with a background in finance and accounting, preferably with an understanding of international financial management and some experience of managing the financial affairs of a charity.
The role will involve advising on strategy from a financial perspective, liaising with the CEO and Finance Manager to oversee effective implementation of good financial procedures, controls and record keeping, and overseeing the production of quarterly reports, annual accounts and the annual budget.
The Board meets quarterly, virtual, with an annual in-person meeting in Cambridge. The total estimated time commitment required for the role is approximately four hours per month.
Our partner is a maternity rights charity dedicated to promoting, protecting and enhancing the rights of all pregnant women, new mothers and their families to employment, social security and health care.
They have grown substantially in the last 5 years, doubling their income, expenses and staffing levels. As a result, the number of financial transactions being processed has increased and they are seeking advice on how to optimise their procure-to-pay process, and use of QuickBooks, to enable more capacity that can then be better utilised on value-adding finance activity.
The volunteer will review their purchasing processes, specifically invoice processing, coding and reporting, and identify opportunities to automate the process, incorporating or improving upon their use of QuickBooks or alternative technological solutions.
The estimated time commitment required for the project is a total of 15 hours, over several weeks, and it is hoped to be completed before the end of February 2025 and their first month-end of their new financial year.
Kids are a-go-go at Kidogo, Kenya
Our partner brings together over 75 organisations, advocating for and with children to drive positive change in youth justice in England and Wales - underpinned by social justice, children’s rights and a focus on positive longterm outcomes.
Due to recent and planned retirements they are seeking a Treasurer and two Trustees to join their Board of Trustees, who have independent control over, and legal responsibility for, how the organisation is governed.
The Treasurer will guide and advise the Board in the approval and review of annual budgets, accounts, financial statements and investments, and advise them on the financial implications of their decisions. They will also be available to provide strategic advice to support the chief Executive Officer’s day-to-day financial management of the organisation.
The Board meets quarterly in London (with some remote attendance possible), and the Treasurer will also chair the financial sustainability sub-committee which also meets 4 times a year, online.
Our partner operates a drop-in centre five days a week, providing hot nutritious meals, food packages and wider support to homeless, lonely, vulnerable or financially struggling adults in the local community.
With their current Treasurer stepping down after five years due to family commitments, they are seeking a replacement to oversee the charity’s finances, including its budgets, accounts and investments, as well as to monitor it's financial health.
The role involves preparing monthly financial reports and the annual accounts (currently on Excel) and managing the online bank accounts in accordance with the organisations financial processes. As a Trustee, the postholder will also be involved in setting the charity’s strategic direction.
The Board meets monthly, for no more than 2 hours, in-person in Newbury.
Our partner is a small, dynamic charity, amplifying lived experience stories and expertise to address social inequalities by providing training, support and mentoring, and media opportunities to influence public conversation.
They are looking to strengthen their board by appointing a new trustee with finance experience to take them into the next stage of their development, with their current Treasurer having reached the end of their term.
The postholder will maintain an overview of the organisation’s affairs, with specific focus on its financial affairs, ensure its financial viability and ensure that proper financial records, controls and procedures are maintained.
The Board meets at least five times a year, usually online for around 90 minutes. There is also an annual trustee/staff away day, and the total estimated time commitment required to fulfil the role is 12 hours per month.
Our partner is a UK based charity supporting traumatised communities globally, by providing training to qualified mental health workers in the countries affected and on-going support through supervision and professional development.
They are seeking a dedicated and detail-oriented individual to serve as Treasurer. The post-holder will be responsible for overseeing the financial management of the charity, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and advising the Board of Trustees on financial matters in a crucial role that supports the financial stability and integrity of the organisation.
The role involves both day-to-day financial management, such as the processing of invoices and completing the annual online return to the Charity Commission, and advisory work, providing financial advice to the Board of Trustees on the implications of decisions and initiatives.
The estimated time commitment required for this relatively hands on Treasurer role is 2-4 hours per week, with the board meeting around 9 times annually (online).
Our partner is facilitating long-term change in the sugarcane sector through its internationally recognised sustainability standards and training, to improve environmental impact and create safer, fairer working conditions on farms and mills.
With the growth of the organisation over the years, the finance function has also grown organically, but solutions have often been implemented reactively rather than strategically.
With the continued growth of the organisation, it has become clear that they need to strengthen their finance processes further to ensure that they can fully leverage the capabilities of their Xero based system and keep pace with the demands of their expansion.
They are therefore seeking the support of an AfID volunteer to work with the finance team to identify gaps in its current operational processes (including accounting, reporting and analysis), before developing and implementing improvement strategies, with a particular focus on streamlining and optimising their reporting processes, and refining their payments process.
They are looking for a volunteer, familiar with Xero and with good process improvement experience, able to commit to providing 2-4 hours of support a week over a 3-4 month period.
Kate on assignment in Peru with HOOP
Our partner is an international peacebuilding organisation, inspired by the Christian faith, working in societies affected by violent conflict to promote the power of peaceful relationships and creating space for them to thrive.
They are seeking a Trustee to chair their finance sub-committee, with experience in a senior finance role who is able to help them develop their approach to finance and support them in the move towards cloud-based accounting.
Having a background as a qualified accountant would be beneficial, as would charity sector experience, preferably in international development, as well as sharing the Christian values of the organisation.
Trustees are asked to attend 4 full day Board meetings annually, alternating between online and in-person, with the finance sub-committee meeting an additional 4-5 times per year, usually online for around an hour.
Our partner is a women’s organisation, delivering systems change and trauma and gender-informed community-based support for women and girls affected by domestic abuse, including those in contact with the criminal justice system.
The Treasurer will oversee the financial matters of the charity in line with good practice and legal requirements, and report to the Board of Trustees at regular intervals about the financial health of the organisation. They will ensure that effective financial management systems, controls and procedures are in place, and are appropriate for the charity's needs.
The successful candidate will have experience of operating within a board in a charitable, public sector or commercial organisation, as well as a commitment to feminist principles and a passion for ending violence against women.
The board meets 5 times per year, and the finance sub-committee has an additional 4 meetings annually.
Our partner supports individuals and research institutions in the Global South to produce, share and use research and knowledge to transform lives, and provide support to researchers globally through their online community platform.
They are seeking a new Treasurer to join their existing board in leading the organisation through their next exciting period of change. While they are seeking someone with knowledge of UK charity finance and legal requirements, they are particularly interested to hear from candidates from the Global South, wherever their current location.
The Treasurer will monitor the financial administration of the charity and report to the board of trustees at regular intervals on its state of financial health, in line with best practice, and in compliance with legal requirements.
The Treasurer role will require approximately 10-12 days per annum, including three Board meetings, two of which are usually virtual, and occasional virtual meetings with the Executive Director, Finance Manager, and Auditor. In addition, the Treasurer will chair the Finance and Audit sub-committee.
Our partner protects in perpetuity a collection of ceramics, archives and manufacturing artefacts, covering nearly 250 years of world-renowned Spode pottery production and a global manufacturing site with world class assets.
They run a small visitor centre, shop and café on the former Spode Works site. Given its size, comprehensiveness and location on the original site, this collection is unique in the UK as the sole surviving enterprise in industrial ceramics and very likely in the world.
They are looking to bring on board someone, either as a Trustee or Advisor, with the experience and ability to inform business planning, strategic development and financial management.
The post holder will also oversee monthly cash flow and forecasts based on bank statements, sales and expenditure as well as supervising the preparation of annual charity commission return accounts and tax return.
The organisation are very flexible in terms of what the role may look like, dependent on who they appoint, with a minimum time commitment of 6 meetings annually.