2024-10-31-accounts

THE CHARITY EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK Annual Report and Financial Statements Year ended 31 October 2024

Registered Charity 1195568

The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Contents

	Page
Administrative details	2
Trustees’ Report	3-5
Independent Examiner’s Report	6
Statement of Financial Activities	7
Balance Sheet	8
Notes to the Financial Statements	9-11

1

The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Administrative details

Name of charity	The Charity Excellence Framework
Registered charity number	1195568
Trustees	Mr Jonathan Badger(Resigned on 02 Aug 2024)
	Mr Christopher Shawdon(Chair- Appointed on 02 Aug 2024)
	Mrs Josephine Mann(Resigned on 04 Aug 2025)
	Ms Marie Davies(Resigned on 03 March 2025)
	Ms Sarah Swaysland
	Mr Edward Mayo(Appointed on 04 Aug 2025)
	Mr Amit Bansal(Appointed on 02 June 2025)
Registered office	14 Blackmore Gate
	Buckland
	Bucks HP22 5JT
Bankers	Barclays Bank

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Trustees Annual Report for the year ended 31 October 2024

Scope & Purpose

This is the annual report of the Board of Trustees of Charity Excellence Framework (“Charity Excellence”, CEF) for the financial year starting 1[st] November 2023 and ending 31[st] October 2024 (2023/24). Charity Excellence is a comprehensive on-line platform that enables UK charities and non-profit organisations to find the funding, resources, help and data they need to deliver services to their beneficiaries and to improve their governance and financial stewardship.

Website traffic on the Charity Excellence platform increased during the year, with 650,000 visits to the platform during the year compared to 520,000 visits during the previous year. Numbers of new users also increased, with an average of 3,000 new members registering in each month of the year. Total membership of Charity Excellence at the end of the year (new members who registered in the year plus active members who registered in previous years) was approximately 50,000. This size and rate of growth makes Charity excellence the largest and fastest growing UK charity community. Together, the charity members of Charity Excellence support more than 10 million charity beneficiaries.

In recent years, Charity Excellence has positioned itself as a leader in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the charity sector. Our platform uses AI in innovative ways, and our organisation provides training to charities in the use of AI to improve their operations and to save precious resources.

Towards the end of the year, Charity Excellence applied to the Charity Commission to extend its Primary Purpose with the view to expanding its footprint and services, and the scope for income generation. Notification of the outcome is expected in 2024/25.

Governance & Trustee Board

Charity Excellence is a registered charity governed by a board of independent trustees who collectively bring senior charity and commercial sector expertise and professional skills in technology, finance, marketing and fund raising. At the year end, there were four trustees:

• Maries Davies

• Josephine Mann

• Christopher Shawdon

• Sarah Swaysland

The previous chair of trustees, Jonathan Badger, stood down during the year for family reasons. Jonathan was a founding trustee of Charity Excellence and worked very hard to support it in its early days. The Board and chief executive wish to record their gratitude to him for the leadership and support he provided whilst a trustee and chair of trustees.

Marie Davies has been experiencing poor health and, although she remains a trustee, she has stood back from active work with us and has given notice that she wishes to resign in 2024/25. The Board and chief executive wish to thank her for her work to date. The Board is in the process of identifying another trustee to take her place. It is also seeking to appoint a new chair of trustees.

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Funding & Resources

In the year, Charity Excellence was provided with funding from the GSR Foundation and Lloyds Bank, pro-bono support from Biomni and Redbrain, smaller donations and revenue from advertisers in its newsletter. Its role as a leader in the use of AI by charities, enabled Charity Excellence to attract extra funding support in 2023/24.

Income is used to remunerate the founder/chief executive (working as a contractor) and to pay for development resources to work alongside him. The development priority in 2023/24 was to standardise the software, in order to move on from the bespoke nature of the original system that was created in 2018. The upgraded system can deal with higher volumes of traffic while, at the same time, facilitating a reduction in the costs of upgrades and maintenance, and better business continuity.

The trustees wish to thank our funders and our providers of pro bono support which have enabled Charity Excellence to continue to provide its platform free of charge to members. The trustees also wish to thank the chief executive for the long hours worked and unerring focus on the needs of Charity Excellence members.

Charity Excellence enters the Financial Year 2024/25 needing to move from the uncertainty of ad hoc financial support to a position of stable funding. This would offer the degree of certainty needed to continue to operate the platform free of charge, to continue to develop the system, to provide additional services and to continue to remunerate the chief executive. The trustees provide support when they can, free of charge. The aim is to achieve sustainable funding so that Charity Excellence can employ resource to support the chief executive and reduce the long hours he works.

The trustees are working to improve the transparency of the financial position of the charity. This includes a change in the provider of banking services, better use of accounting software, and greater separation of the activities of the charity from the chief executive’s other work.

The trustees are grateful to MJ Golz & Co Ltd for preparation of the annual accounts of the charity. The accounts have also been subject to independent examination.

Major Achievements 2023/24

The past year has been a period of significant achievement:

• Appreciable net growth in the use of the system with 10,000 new users in the year. This was coupled with an increase in financial support from various sources, including new sources of support.

• Useful expansion of the range of charity policy templates available on the platform, including policies on the use and risk of AI.

• Free training in use of AI for all members, mainly via webinars. This included introductory training for trustees to enable them to work with their charities to make better use of AI.

• Enhancements and updates to the Help Finder directory.

• Two informative annual surveys: a survey in May 2024 of progress and issues in the sector; and a survey in October 2024 of trustee opinions.

• Development of a funding strategy and preparation for a funding initiative in 2024/25.

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Charity Excellence continues to earn praise and accolades and was a Finalist in the Charity Partnership category of the 2024 Charity Awards.

Future Plans

Plans for 2024/25 include:

• Action to formalise our funding offerings in order to obtain a more stable funding stream, by attracting a range of donors. This includes approaching potential donors who could provide a guaranteed stream of funding and the stability it would provide. Funding could be used to support one or two part time posts that could take pressure away from the Chief Executive and help to run the charity.

• Plans to provide a “Donate Button” to encourage one-off donations from satisfied users.

• A drive to increase retention of users. Although the platform attracts many new users, continuity of use is not as high as it could be. The new standardised software should facilitate development of more attractive web pages and easier searching for information, which should encourage users to stay.

• Encouraging greater utilisation of whole platform. To date the main destination of users is Funding Finder when greater help could be obtained if they also visited the Help Finder facility.

• Provision of a programme of further training in the use of AI, building on the work in 2023. Training includes use of AI for writing a web page, preparing a grant application and drafting minutes of meetings. A sponsor is being sought for the programme.

• Enhancement of the Health Check facility on the platform to include checks for AI readiness, for example AI governance and action to avoid scams and fakes

• Providing the Charity Commission agrees to the extension of the Primary Purpose of the charity, other means of growing income would be available

Trustees

Charity Excellence Framework

Trustee 1 _____

Christopher Shawdon (Aug 18, 2025,3:33pm)

Name: Christopher Shawdon

Sarah Swaysland Trustee 2 _____ Sarah Swaysland (Aug 18, 2025, 3:41pm)

Name: Sarah Swaysland

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Independent Examiner’s Report to the Trustees For the year ended 31 October 2024

I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the charitable company for the year ended 31 October 2024.

Responsibilities and basis of report

The charity Trustees, who are also Directors for the purposes of company law, are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts carried out under section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiners statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by section 386 of the 2006 Act: or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. the accounts do not comply with the requirements of section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fair view' which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Haroon Ashfaq

Approved on … ~~……………………~~

Haroon Ashfaq (Aug 19, 2025, 1:51pm)

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Statement of Financial Activities (Including Summary of Income & Expenditure Account) Year Ended 31 October 2024

		Income from: Donations 3		Unrestricted		Restricted		Total Funds		Prior Year Funds £ 63,267 6,622 69,889 13,567 13,567 56,322 4,386 60,708
				Funds		Funds
				£		£		£
				25,299		-		25,299
		Other 3		16,789		-		16,789
				42,088		-		42,088
		Expenditures on:
		Charitable Activities 4		34,710		-		34,710
				34,710		-		34,710
		Net Income / (Expenditure)
				7,378		-		7,378
		Reconciliation of Funds: Total Funds Brought Forward
				60,708		-		4,386
		Total Funds Carried Forward 6		68,086		-		11,764

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

		Balance Sheet	Balance Sheet		31-Oct 2023 £ 64,308 3,600 60,708 60,708 60,708
		As at 31 October 2024
				31-Oct
				2024
				£
		Cash at Bank		74,007
		Current Liabilities & Accruals 5		5,921
		Total Net Assets		68,086
		Unrestricted Funds 6		68,086
				68,086
			Sarah Swaysland
	Trustee 2 _

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

Notes to the financial statements

1 Basis of preparation

These accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention with items recognised at cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevant note to these accounts.

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with:

• the Statement of Recommended Practice: Accounting and Reporting by Charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued on 16 July 2014 (the Charities SORP); and

• the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102);

• The Charities Act 2011.

The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties related to events or conditions that cast significant doubt on the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

No material prior year error has been identified in the reporting period.

2 Accounting policies

Income

Income is included in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity becomes entitled to the resources, it is more likely than not that the trustees will receive the resources and the monetary value can be measured with sufficient reliability. Performance related grants are recognised to the extent that the charity has provided the specified goods or services.

It is not practical to value the monetary value of donated time.

Expenditure and liabilities

Liabilities are recognised where it is more likely than not that there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to pay out resources and the amount of the obligation can be measured with reasonable certainty.

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

3 Income Resources
	Incoming
	Resources
Unrestricted funds;	£
Lloyds Bank Foundation	5,000
The GSR Foundation	20,000
Other Donations	299
Advertisement Income	16,789
Total Income	42,088
4 Expenditures
Accountancy Corporate Consultancy Independent Examiner Insurance IT and Software Marketing Professional (Alumna Ltd) Sundries Travel & Subsistence Total Expenses	Unrestricted
	£
	660
	1,600
	300
	172
	17,127
	417
	14,000
	296
	139
	34,710

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The Charity Excellence Framework Annual Report and Financial Statements 31 October 2024

	5		Current Liabilities: Creditors falling due within one year	Current Liabilities: Creditors falling due within one year
				2024				2023
				£				£
				5,921				3,600
			Other Creditors & Accruals
				5,921				3,600
	6		Net Movement in Funds	Balance at Start Income		Outgoings		Balance as at 31 October 2024
				£ £		£
				60,708 42,088		-34,710		68,086
			Unrestricted Funds
				60,708 42,088		-34,710		68,086

• The charity has no employees and, therefore, no employee earning in excess of £30,000 per annum.

  • None of the trustees have been paid any remuneration or received any other benefits from employment with this charity or a related entity.

  • No trustee expenses have been incurred.

• ---

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Issuer

Issuer MJG Accountants Document generated Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:20:16 BST Document fingerprint ce8faa30e02c9c323cf39f36e4a5fabd

Parties involved with this document

Document processed

Party + Fingerprint

Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:33:37 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:41:06 BST

Christopher Shawdon - Signer (3ee32cae65a70d42d70c6804da65bd15) Sarah Swaysland - Signer (05746e5553006e44aaabc826f738a040)

Audit history log

Date

Action

Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:20:16 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:20:17 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:23:56 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:23:56 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:23:56 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:23:56 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:29:46 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:29:55 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:33:37 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:39:07 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:39:53 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:39:58 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:41:06 BST Mon, 18th Aug 2025 15:41:06 BST

Envelope generated by Faisal Khan (81.29.93.233) Document generated with fingerprint ce8faa30e02c9c323cf39f36e4a5fabd (81.29.93.233) Sent the envelope to Christopher Shawdon for signing (81.29.93.233) Sent the envelope to Sarah Swaysland for signing (81.29.93.233) Document emailed to party email Document emailed to party email Christopher Shawdon opened the document email. (194.120.133.23) Christopher Shawdon viewed the envelope (194.120.133.23) Christopher Shawdon signed the envelope (194.120.133.23) Sarah Swaysland opened the document email. (92.40.171.88) Sarah Swaysland opened the document email. (165.85.18.209) Sarah Swaysland viewed the envelope (165.85.18.209) Sarah Swaysland signed the envelope (165.85.18.209) This envelope has been signed by all parties (165.85.18.209)

Issuer

MJG Accountants

Document generated Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:48:59 BST

Document fingerprint f6609249614e8107075c8258e5158b75

Parties involved with this document

Document processed

Party + Fingerprint

Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:51:17 BST Haroon Ashfaq - Signer (7f4c7e41f5769e206ac5f62a86c0a683)

Audit history log

Date

Action

Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:48:59 BST Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:49:00 BST

Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:49:52 BST Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:49:53 BST Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:50:14 BST Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:50:19 BST Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:51:17 BST Tue, 19th Aug 2025 13:51:18 BST

Envelope generated by Faisal Khan (81.29.93.233) Document generated with fingerprint f6609249614e8107075c8258e5158b75 (81.29.93.233) Sent the envelope to Haroon Ashfaq for signing (81.29.93.233) Document emailed to party email Haroon Ashfaq opened the document email. (66.249.93.97) Haroon Ashfaq viewed the envelope (86.30.143.19) Haroon Ashfaq signed the envelope (86.30.143.19) This envelope has been signed by all parties (86.30.143.19)