Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Student Learning Centre

Specialist Knowledge

Specialist Knowledge Offered by the Course

The Certificate in Charity Finance and Accountancy facilitates understanding in the following industry specific areas:

Transparency and Accountability in Charity Reporting – We look in depth at the Statement of Financial Activities (SOFA) and the Trustees’ Annual Report to enable charities to use them to show how they can make a difference.

A Specialist Accounting Standard – We explain the origins of the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) for charities and how it goes beyond the company formats taught in generic accounting.

The Complexity of VAT for the Voluntary & Community Sector – VAT can be more complex for charities than most other enterprises. We explain partial-exemption schemes and underline the importance of tax planning.

Maximising Tax-Effective Giving – We will teach you how to maximise your Gift Aid recovery and to take advantage of the latest concessions by HMRC and HM Treasury.

Commissioning Growth in Public Service Delivery - We go beyond Full Cost Recovery and learn Pricing Models to enable voluntary organisations to compete successfully in tendering exercises.

Sustainability and Managing Reserves – Maintaining the right level of Reserves can be essential. We will teach you how to assess the level you need, and then how to dynamically manage and maintain that level to ensure your organisation’s sustainability.

Social enterprises - Many are charities, play a major part in the delivery of public services. The certificate focuses on the function of service delivery and the functional differences throughout the course. Many of the skills gained are common to many social enterprises and will be appropriate to all those involved in delivering public services outside statutory or private bodies.

For more information tel: 0207 543 5656 or email: students@cipfa.org.uk 

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