2025 placed unprecedented demands on charity finance teams. With rising expectations from trustees, funders and regulators, finance leaders were required to deliver greater transparency, faster reporting and deeper strategic insight — often while operating with stretched resources and legacy systems.

This session reflects on the key finance lessons emerging from the past year and what they mean for charities as they plan for 2026. It will explore how finance teams can move beyond reactive firefighting to become confident, strategic partners within their organisations.

Drawing on the defining themes of 2025 — including the hidden cost of manual processes, the growing expectation for real-time financial visibility, and the risks of disconnected systems — the session will highlight practical, achievable steps charities can take to strengthen financial management and governance.

Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how better data, smarter planning and more integrated processes can improve resilience, support informed decision-making and free up time to focus on mission and impact, rather than chasing numbers.

Speaker

Andrew Faulkner has extensive experience advising non-profit organisations on transitioning to smarter, more digital finance functions. He regularly speaks on finance transformation, with a particular focus on how automation and intelligent systems can streamline processes and support better decision-making. Andrew previously worked as an implementation consultant, supporting charities to successfully onboard and embed AccountsIQ within their organisations.

Community Finance Ireland 
We will also be joined by a representative from Community Finance Ireland (CFI), who will give a brief overview of how CFI supports charities, community organisations and social enterprises to access affordable and sustainable finance. With 25 years’ experience working exclusively in the social impact space, CFI supports organisations at every stage — from drawing down grants and refinancing existing debt to investing in premises, facilities and service expansion — helping turn ambition into practical, mission-driven impact.