Do charities have to make their annual accounts available for the public to view?

Rows Grower · 07-09-2023 07:48PM #1

I was asked to apply to support a charity/not for profit organisation today that I supported last year. Something about the email didn't sit right with me and I did a google search of the organisation and that made me more inquisitive.

I've found their published online accounts for the year end 2021, for some reason they have changed their name since then. Looking at the accounts I am curious as to who the consultants were that got a fair whack of wedge from the organisation (up approx. 500% on the previous years fee) that dropped net surplus by about 83% over the same 12 months.

Do I have to go through some fee paying online service to get more detail on the accounts, can I request a copy from the charity free of charge or should I just mind my own business and apply to be accepted to pay them what they want again this year?

Allinall · 07-09-2023 07:50PM

Ask them for their full accounts.

If they want your money, they’ll oblige.

If not, it tells its own story.

BrianD3 · 07-09-2023 08:15PM

If their accounts are online, the expenditure is public domain, factual information. Why not name them? And send them an email (from a burner account so they can't link your boards posts to your real life identity) asking them to explain themselves. The expenditure on consultants could be related to their change of name and branding, would you want to give them money if that's what they spent money on?

07-09-2023 08:30PM

Here you go op

https://www.charitiesregulator.ie/en/information-for-the-public/search-the-register-of-charities

Rows Grower · 07-09-2023 09:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082419#Comment_121082419

That's what I was looking for, on the ball.

L1011 · 07-09-2023 09:24PM

One thing to note is that consultancy payments doesn't just mean some overpaid suit coming in to tell you the bleeding obvious and charge through the nose for it (albeit fairly frequently it actually is only that).

Some places have staff doing day to day tasks, particularly in IT and accounting but sometimes pretty much any desk job, that are employed via one of the big consultancy firms. When you see absolutely insane figures for consultancy firms it is probable that they are getting staffing services from them rather than just consultancy.

Oscar_Madison · 07-09-2023 09:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082263#Comment_121082263

That actually should be the go to question to all charities asking for donations before making a donation

elperello · 07-09-2023 09:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082660#Comment_121082660

Agreed, it makes sense to do your due diligence.

There are plenty of good well run charities out there that need our support.

Rows Grower · 07-09-2023 09:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082694#Comment_121082694

Absolutely correct, I'd love to be able to afford to do more for the less fortunate in society and might be of a mind to after a good scouse at this crowds published accounts.

Does anyone know if it can be discovered who the consultants were? Is a charity obliged to provide this information on request from a supporter?

Oscar_Madison · 08-09-2023 07:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121082788#Comment_121082788

You might find some answers in this guide from Grant Thornton - but the response from your charity in question would be interesting anyway -do let us know what they say

https://www.grantthornton.ie/globalassets/1.-member-firms/ireland/insights/publications/introduction-to-the-charity-sorp-060420.pdf

Do charities have to make their annual accounts available for the public to view?

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