Sudhir Singh, Head of MHA Not For Profit

There is no doubt that strong effective governance and leadership is the major contributor to the success of a charity.  The opposite also holds true; that weak or ineffective leadership forms a major barrier to charity effectiveness.  It is fair to recognise that over the last couple of decades, initiatives such as the voluntary sector codes of good governance have certainly helped improve standards.
 
Best practice in financial governance and management underpins overall governance.  But surveys MHA have undertaken with the Charity Finance Group, and other sector analyses, have pointed to what many of us have experienced anecdotally, that charity finance governance and overall competency in many charities could be improved.  Charity beneficiaries deserve that trustees strive their utmost to do their best.  Being “good enough” is not good enough.  So action is certainly required.