Stabilising finance, completing statutory reporting and building stronger planning capability across an international charity.
The gap
An international charity needed to strengthen its finance function while maintaining delivery across a complex portfolio of restricted and unrestricted activity. Statutory reporting, controls, management information, planning and project oversight all required attention.
The organisation did not need an isolated accounting fix. It needed immediate stabilisation combined with a practical design for a finance function able to support better decisions, stronger stewardship and sustainable delivery.
Why it mattered
For a charity, unreliable finance processes can affect much more than reporting. They can weaken donor confidence, restricted-fund stewardship, programme decisions, audit readiness and the ability of trustees and executives to understand future sustainability.
With approximately 140 projects in the portfolio, the organisation also needed clearer financial planning and project oversight without creating unnecessary bureaucracy for programme teams.
What we did
As part-time Interim CFO, David Roberts combined hands-on stabilisation with operating-model development across Finance, IT and HR.
- Led completion of the statutory accounts to the required timetable.
- Strengthened core finance controls, governance and audit readiness.
- Established a clearer FP&A capability to improve forward-looking insight.
- Introduced portfolio and PMO disciplines across approximately 140 projects.
- Improved the connection between finance, programme delivery and organisational decision-making.
- Developed a sustainable target operating model rather than relying indefinitely on interim intervention.
The outcome
The statutory accounts were completed on time, providing a firmer base for assurance and stakeholder confidence. Controls and planning capability were strengthened, and the organisation gained clearer oversight of a large and varied project portfolio.
The work left a more sustainable model for finance leadership, planning and organisational support.
What it demonstrates
Finance stabilisation is most valuable when immediate delivery and long-term capability are pursued together. In charities, that means combining technical accuracy with stewardship, programme understanding and proportionate governance.
- Charity finance stabilisation
- Statutory accounts and audit readiness
- Restricted-fund stewardship
- FP&A and management information
- PMO and project-portfolio oversight
- Finance target operating models