Charity Health Check
A comprehensive external review of your charity's operations can identify areas that are draining your resources, reducing your impact, and potentially putting you at risk.
Each Charity Health Check is tailored to your specific needs to ensure that you receive the appropriate level of guidance. We will examine the barriers to performance that prevent fundraising success, good communication, and professionalism. Having the right internal systems in place can help to prevent fraud or misuse, but reporting on how you operate can have a significant impact on how supporters and potential funders perceive you.
The following are the key areas covered in the Charity Health Check:
- The Trustee board: The effectiveness of the board in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities.
- Governance: The charity's governance framework, including policies and procedures.
- Strategy: The charity's strategic plan and how it is being implemented.
- Communication: The charity's communication strategy and how it is being implemented.
- Performance: The charity's performance against its objectives.
- Staff management: The charity's human resources policies and procedures.
- Organisational systems: The charity's systems and processes, including GDPR and financial management.
- Fundraising: The charity's fundraising strategy and how it is being implemented.
- Working with partners and volunteers: The charity's partnerships and volunteer programs.
A Charity Health Check can provide you with valuable insights into your charity's operations and help you to identify areas for improvement. By taking steps to address any identified weaknesses, you can strengthen your charity and position it for success.
Charities today face mounting pressure to demonstrate their performance and ensure they are delivering value for money. This heightened scrutiny calls for regular reviews and assessments to ensure that charities are functioning efficiently and adhering to best practices in governance and operational effectiveness.
One of the key recommendations for charities is to undergo a Governance Review by an independent, external expert every three to five years. These reviews are typically based on the Charity Governance Code, which provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating governance practices. We use a variety of tools to assess the charity’s governance function, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. This process allows me to make informed recommendations on how to enhance governance and ensure it continues to meet the demands of the charity’s mission and external accountability.
A broader Organisational Strengths Review is also crucial for charities, as it establishes a baseline for improvement across key functions. This review offers an independent and objective evaluation of the charity’s operational health. By using a traffic-light scoring system, the review provides clear feedback on strengths, identifies any limiting issues, and prioritises key challenges that need to be addressed. An accompanying action plan offers concrete steps to help the charity build on its strengths and resolve areas of concern, thereby positioning it for future success.
Another important area for evaluation is impact. Increasingly, charities are looking beyond simply reporting outputs and are aiming to provide evidence of their broader impact. To support this, we carry out independent impact reviews that provide an objective assessment of how well the charity is achieving its goals. These findings are delivered in a well-designed, printed format, making it easy for charities to share the results with external stakeholders, from donors to regulatory bodies, and to build greater credibility around their impact.
In addition to these overarching reviews, we also conduct targeted evaluations of specific projects or departments. Whether it’s through service-user surveys or addressing issues within underperforming teams, we provide independent assessments to help charities identify the root causes of challenges and make informed decisions about improvements. These evaluations are tailored to meet the unique needs of the charity and aim to deliver actionable insights that can enhance performance and overall effectiveness.
By undertaking these comprehensive reviews and evaluations, charities can ensure that they are meeting the increasing expectations of stakeholders and are well-positioned to achieve their mission effectively and sustainably.