2026 Small Charities Week: Day 3 - When One Person Is Holding All the Financial Knowledge

🎁 Download your free Day 3 resource: Finance Resilience Checklist here Pick up a copy of my newly published interactive, activity-based resource designed to help build confidence with charity finance terminology:: Charity Finance A–Z: A Creative Crossword & Colouring Book Or explore the glossary-style guide: Charity Finance from A - Z Many small charities rely heavily on one trusted individual to manage the finances. They know the bookkeeping system, the banking, the payroll, the grant reporting, the passwords, the deadlines, and often the history behind every financial decision. The problem isn't that they're doing anything wrong. The problem is that the organisation may have become dependent on them. In this episode, Aishat explores key-person risk, volunteer dependency, founder dependency, and practical ways small charities can build financial resilience without creating additional complexity or employing a larger finance team. KEY TAKEAWAY Documentation is one of the simplest forms of resilience Key-person risk often develops gradually Succession planning isn't just for CEOs BEST MOMENTS "The issue isn't whether volunteers are committed. The issue is whether the organization could continue if a key volunteer became unavailable." "The founder isn't intentionally creating risk. Often, they're simply trying to keep things moving." "Knowledge doesn't need to sit entirely inside one person's head." REFLECTION QUESTION If your key finance person was unexpectedly unavailable for the next month, what would happen? Could: Payroll still run? Bills still be paid? Trustees still receive reports? Grant claims still be submitted? ABOUT YOUR HOST Aishat operates her own bookkeeping and accounting services practice – BAnC Services – which focuses primarily on serving non-profits. Before founding her practice, she dedicated over two decades to the non-profit sector. With her podcast, Aishat shares practical insights and expertise to streamline financial management for non-profits, while also shining a light on the often unseen and unheard efforts that uphold the delivery of a non-profit’s mission. She is the author of Charity Finance from A to Z“ – a practical guide designed to demystify finance for those working in the charity sector. Work with Aishat: www.bancservices.co.uk CONNECT Instagram TikTok