Charities are reporting increased competition for funding, amid concerns that pressure on cashflow could hit future services and the ability to hire skilled staff, while financial controls need to be tightened, according to research by RSM

The Charity Commission is investigating the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and its subsidiary charity, RNIB Charity, over concerns about the safeguarding of vulnerable beneficiaries

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Islamic Educational Society of Blackburn over concerns about the charity’s repeated failure to file statutory accounting information on time

The Charity Commission has appointed an interim manager to Ampleforth Abbey and the St Laurence Education Trust as a result of continued concerns about the extent to which current safeguarding risks to pupils at the schools run by the charities are being adequately managed

The consulting arms of UK accounting firms, notably the Big Four, accounted for nearly 40% of all revenues earned in the UK consulting market in 2017, winning the majority of the work in the financial services market and representing the fastest growing firm segment, according to a report from Source Global Research

Over half of accountants and finance professionals say they are dissatisfied with their salaries, but achieving a reasonable pay rise requires effort and determination, from improving skillsets to identifying opportunities at current employers, or even taking the plunge and looking for a new job. Karen Young, director of Hays Accountancy & Finance gives tips and advice on how to secure a pay rise

HMRC is urging people to ensure they declare gift aid when giving money to charity, after its research found charities are losing out on extra funding worth nearly £600m a year because a third of eligible donations are overlooked

Fewer charities overall are filing accounts with a modified audit opinion, meaning that their accounts are, or may be, materially misstated, but it is a ‘particular concern’ that 40% of those that do have done so for two consecutive years, the Charity Commission has found

The Charity Tax Commission is seeking views on whether and how the tax treatment of charities, estimated to be worth around £3.7bn a year, needs to be reformed

Auto enrolment pension contributions are set to double for employers from April and companies will have to pay a minimum contribution of 2% from the 2018-19 tax year

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into the Kenya Community Support Network and frozen the charity’s bank account, after concerns emerged that the charity was being used for significant private benefit

Beth Hale & Nick Hawkins of CM Murray LLP examine the pros and cons of non-disclosure agreements (NDA) in employment contracts in light of recent scandals and consider how they these legally binding documents can protect businesses and minimise disputes

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Great Generation over concerns about the charity’s persistent failure to file its accounts on time

The government and the Charity Commission have stressed the need for charities to take urgent action around safeguarding, in response to public outcry over recent revelations around sexual exploitation by individuals involved in international aid agencies, domestic charities and high street charity shops

The UK’s three independent regulators of charities have issued an alert to charities to advise them of the need to ensure they use bank accounts in the regulated financial sector, particularly when trustees may be moving money overseas, in order to ensure good governance