From insight to impact: February updates from the Charity Community

Whether you’re looking to stay on top of technical developments, strengthen governance in your organisation, or learn from peers across the sector, we hope this newsletter offers practical insights and fresh ideas to support your work.

We’re pleased to invite our Big Trustee Breakfast 2026: turning insight into impact, which takes place on Tuesday, 10 March at Chartered Accountants’ Hall in London. This in-person morning event combines practical learning with networking over breakfast and features sessions on developing the next generation of finance trustees, strengthening board effectiveness with proportionate approaches, and aligning strategy, resources, and partnerships for greater organisational impact. It’s a great chance to top up your CPD hours, share insights with fellow trustees, and come away with ideas you can apply in your own charity. Space is limited, so early booking is essential.

• Register here

The latest update to the Companies House digital filing reforms means that the previously planned requirement for all companies, including charities that are registered with Companies House, to file their annual accounts only via commercial software will no longer begin in April 2027 as originally expected.

The changes are now under review, and a new timetable has yet to be confirmed, with at least 21 months’ notice promised before implementation.

For many charities, this delay is significant: it buys more time to prepare for the shift to software-only filings at a moment when suitable software solutions for charities’ accounts preparation are not yet fully developed and removes the immediate pressure to move away from current filing routes.

The Charity Commission has recently updated its fundraising guidance CC20, with the most recent revision published on 3 February 2026, to make the content easier to use and more accessible for trustees. The core purpose of the guidance remains the same, explaining trustees’ legal responsibilities when overseeing fundraising, but the language and structure have been refined to improve clarity and usability.

The update also reflects changes brought in through the Charities Act 2022, which simplified rules on situations such as failed appeals and how trustees should handle funds when circumstances change. CC20 continues to set out key principles for effective and compliant fundraising oversight, and the refreshed format aims to help boards engage with those duties more readily in practice.

• Read the CC20 guide

On 22 and 23 January, we held our two-day virtual Charity Conference. Nearly 1,500 of you joined us and we were so happy with your engagement and feedback. Thank you!

We had a varied mix of technical updates, lively panel sessions, and thought-provoking keynotes, and trialled virtual networking for those of you who asked for it following last year’s Conference. The Conference received very positive feedback overall, with testimonials such as “another brilliant event, rich in content and advice that has provided me with plenty to think about to support my charity over the next 12 months!”

Your highlights:

• Charity accounting updates: this year, we added a practical SORP session, ‘Charities SORP 2026: Practical Updates in Action’, to our programme alongside our traditional Accounting update, in recognition of the volume of changes to charity accounting in 2026. Even two hours of expert guidance can only scratch the surface when discussing the new SORP, and we encouraged delegates to also visit ICAEW’s resource hub on the new SORP to help transition to the new standard. You told us (about the Conference session) that the “practical examples were brilliant. Very clearly explained. A lot of detail without being overwhelming.”
• From Trial to Transformation: World Vision UK’s CFO, Alex Sneha challenged delegates with five bold questions about 1) their risk appetite in the current climate, 2) confronting their worst fears, 3) building financial volatility into their plans, 4) building new skills to remain competitive, and 5) their leadership approach. For many delegates, this was the most thought-provoking, inspiring session of the Conference and they praised Sneha’s “truly inspiring presentation including such practical and common-sense guidance on standing back to lead through challenging time.”
• Charity Commission’s opening address: Commission CEO, David Holdsworth offered encouragement and reassurance to those trustees who are willing and able to take decisive action, motivated by the best interests of their charity, even if their decisions are difficult. Members were especially grateful for David’s open answers to their questions about AI, regulatory burdens on small charities, upskilling of trustees, and whether the Commission had any future plans for ID verification: “the Q&A session was superb! It’s great to have David’s time at this conference.”

If you couldn’t join the Conference live, you can get all the recordings by registering for the on-demand version. You will still be able to claim this as verifiable CPD (up to 8 hours).

• Watch the Charity Conference 2026