Charities

IndustriesPublic & social sector

Charities

Charities play a vital role in our society, making a difference to many lives in the UK and across the world.

Understanding the challenges in the charity sector

Charities and not-for-profit organisations are crucial to our society. However, they often face a number of pressures including ambitious strategies, increasing demand for their services, financial resilience, digital transformation, regulatory requirements, workforce recruitment and retention as well as ensuring they maintain the trust of the public, funders and beneficiaries. At Forvis Mazars, we understand these challenges and are committed to supporting charities and not-for-profit organisations to ensure operational continuity and enhanced capability and impact through a range of audit, tax, and advisory services. We stay up to date with the latest regulatory developments affecting the sector, including the evolving Charity SORP, set to be updated in line with changes to FRS 102 by January 2026, as well as the Code of Fundraising Practice 2025, ensuring our clients remain compliant and well-prepared for the future.

How our Public and social team can help

At Forvis Mazars, our dedicated team of charity and not-for-profit professionals is well-versed in the unique challenges you face. Nationally, we support over 220 charities, offering a wide range of audit, assurance and advisory services. We have over 400 staff who solely work with our not-for-profit clients, bringing over 75 years of experience in the sector.

We work with a broad spectrum of not-for-profit organisations, including charities, educational institutions, religious organisations, health care providers and private foundations. We provide tailored solutions that are the right fit for your unique circumstances, rather than provide you with a one-size-fits-all approach.

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What our clients say about us

“We have worked with the team at Forvis Mazars since 2019 as our internal audit partner, and their contribution to our organisation is greatly valued. They provide an annual programme of assurance and advisory audits across our charity, focusing on key areas that are vital to our success and governance.

The team is both professional and approachable, and we benefit from the open and honest relationship we maintain with them. They take the time to understand our work and will tailor their approach to reflect the complexities and nuances of the third sector and our complex organisation.

Beyond the audit programme, we value their broader support and advice. Whether we’re seeking guidance on value for money, cost efficiency, or emerging risks, they are always on hand with timely, relevant, and insightful input. Their knowledge of trends and best practices across the third sector helps inform our decision-making and adds real value.”

CFO, National UK Charity

Case studies

Case study one: Supporting digital transformation for one large charity

A leading charitable organisation and its associated financial services arm were undergoing a major digital transformation, replacing legacy systems with modern, cloud-native technologies to enhance resilience and operational efficiency.

As their outsourced internal audit partner, we played a critical role in supporting this transformation. We conducted targeted assessments of both current and future-state technologies, focusing on key risks around data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Our work also evaluated the governance and implementation frameworks underpinning the transformation programme.

To further strengthen internal controls, we now provide continuous assurance throughout the programme’s lifecycle. This includes active participation in governance forums, such as steering committees and go-live decision-making, as an independent and objective voice. We also conduct regular health checks, deep dives, and readiness assessments.

Impact: Our involvement has helped embed robust controls from day one, reducing the risk of implementation failure and ensuring the organisation is well-positioned to realise the full benefits of its digital investments.

Case study two: Enhancing technology assurance for a consumer-focused not-for-profit

A prominent consumer advocacy organisation with a complex IT landscape - including cloud-based customer platforms and enterprise systems like ERP, CRM, and HCM - engaged us as a co-sourced internal audit partner.

Our work has focused on delivering assurance aligned to the organisation’s principal risks. We conducted in-depth reviews of high-risk areas such as the software development lifecycle, cloud configuration, and security management. Our approach goes beyond control effectiveness, also evaluating the scalability and efficiency of systems and processes.

Impact: We’ve provided assurance over key strategic decisions related to security and product development, while also delivering actionable recommendations to reduce risk across both product and corporate IT environments.

Our charities sector contacts