Thank you for being a part of the ACAT 2024 Conference! We hope you enjoyed the sessions, made valuable connections, and left with new insights and inspiration.
As we close the conference, we’ve put together this page to help you carry the ACAT 2024 Conference energy forward! Here, you’ll find post-conference resources, including session slides, sponsor and exhibitor information, and related articles. We hope these materials keep you connected to the ideas and discussions from this year’s event.
We’re also eager to hear about your experience. Your feedback plays a key role in helping us make each conference better than the last. If you haven’t yet shared your thoughts, please take a few minutes to complete our quick feedback questionnaire linked below.
Thank you again for being part of ACAT 2024, and we look forward to staying in touch!
Finally a big thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors for their amazing support of the ACAT 2024 Conference. Their contributions were essential in making this event possible, and we’re grateful for their partnership in bringing it to life. We’d like to extend a special thanks to CAF Bank, CCLA, and Ecclesiastical Insurance for their sponsorship.
Andrew Robinson (CCLA), Paul Bailey (Manchester Diocese), Heather Ford (Ecclesiastical), Karl Newton (National Churches Trust), Richard Hunt (CAF Bank) and Gavin Smith (The Church Office) have kindly provided the slides used during their presentations to be shared with conference attendees. These slides are a great resource to help you better reflect on what was shared at the conference. You can find the slides below; just click on the speaker’s name.
Some of our speakers have provided additional insights to expand upon the information they shared with you at the conference.
Link to our website: https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/
Link to House of Good Health: https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/house-good-health
Link to our Grants page: https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/get-support/grants
Link to our Carol Concert: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/carols-by-candlelight-with-the-national-churches-trust-tickets-823695895597?aff=oddtdtcreator
The National Churches Trust are looking for volunteers to take part in a trial of their Social Value Calculator which was explored at the Conference. If you are interested, please contact Karl Newton: karl.newton@nationalchurchestrust.org
The questions are currently being revised to make them clearer but in essence they will ask:
CAF Bank is more than a bank. We are dedicated to supporting charities and social purposes enterprises and understanding the pressures they face. Owned by a charity, the Charities Aid Foundation, we share the ethos of the 14,000 organisations using our banking, deposit account, and lending services. From the one-person causes to the large-scale organisations, we are the bank charities turn to. We believe in the power of good, and in treating the goals of charities as our own.
Are you thinking that longer term investing can help your organisation? Confused by the terminology and complexity used by the investment industry? Let CAF help you on your journey.
This guide is packed with expert insight:
CCLA is committed to delivering sustainable returns to our clients in a way that aligns with their values and furthers their mission. Our philosophy as an asset manager, our aim is to deliver superior, sustainable risk-adjusted returns to our clients in a way that aligns with their values and furthers their mission.
CCLA’s Better World fund range empowers individual investors to make a positive impact through their investments. With over 60 years of experience in sustainable investing for charities, churches, and local authorities, CCLA is now offering its expertise in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing to individuals. Recognized for strong performance, these funds prioritize key issues like climate change, modern slavery, and mental health, aiming to drive meaningful, positive change across society and the planet.
You’re not just choosing Ecclesiastical you’re choosing insurance you can believe in.
You’re choosing real people that really care and are uniquely familiar with the pressures churches face. We know that a church is more than a building and we know what to do should the worst happen, because we’ve been doing it for 135 years.
You’re choosing a support network. Church experts with a lifetime of expertise, free practical support, and a genuine desire to help. It’s about more than our 96%* customer satisfaction, it’s knowing you’ve always got someone to talk to, no matter how big or small the query.
You’re choosing an insurer owned by a charity that works to support churches, communities and charities where they need it. Whether it’s our free fundraising guidance and tools, access to grants and funding or something more fundamental, we’re here for you. By choosing Ecclesiastical, you’re choosing an insurer intent on helping your church find a thriving future.
By choosing Ecclesiastical, you’re choosing insurance you can believe in.
Whether your church is aiming for a small or large fundraising goal, following these seven steps can help you get organized and boost your chances of success.
Step one is to tell your story—funders want to know who you are and how your project will benefit the community. Next, form a fundraising team to draw on skills like budget management and crafting persuasive messages. Research funders and keep a detailed record of grant sizes, deadlines, and contact information, then create a priority prospects list to focus on those with the best match to your project.
Stay informed by signing up for funder newsletters, and consider hosting fundraising events to raise awareness and donations. Finally, networking—building in-person relationships—is key to shining a spotlight on your church’s needs.
For the full guide, visit Ecclesiastical Insurance’s church fundraising hub for more support.
Action Planning gives you access to a community of charity consultants with a wide range of specialist, not-for-profit/charity/church expertise.
We’re a community of fundraisers, bid-writers, researchers, strategists, advisors, planners, marketers, recruiters, mentors, coaches, trainers, facilitators. What unites us is all working together to help organisations like yours achieve your mission.
We have the experience and in-depth knowledge of the Christian faith sector, and a range of disciplines to offer thoughtful insight and analysis from an independent perspective. We can work with you to help identify the problem, and assign one of our specialists to help you find the right solution with insight, imagination and integrity.
How can we help you?
Come together in person with church leaders, charity leaders and fundraisers for relevant insight, practical tools, networking and inspiration on funding for Christian charities and churches, from those who understand the church, and understand Christian fundraising. In just one day at the beautiful Royal Geographical Society venue in central London you can:
You will leave with new insights from generous funders, stories of success, practical tips from sector experts, contacts and inspiration to fuel you for the year ahead. Full speakers and programme to be announced over the coming weeks. Find out more and save your place at: www.faithandfundraising.co.uk
Data Developments have developed three main software packages as well as bookkeeping, independent examination, training and support services. Our software packages include:
MyFundAccounting – The dynamic cloud-based application poised to revolutionise your financial co-ordination. With a proven track record of fifteen years, Finance Co-ordinator has established itself as a leading solution, and now its successor, MyFundAccounting.Online, steps into the spotlight with an array of impressive features.
Our team have meticulously designed the user experience, with you in mind, to enhance efficiency
and effectiveness in your financial processes. Experience the power of MyFundAccounting first-hand with our free trial. Take advantage of this opportunity to not only explore the features but also import your own data from Finance Co-ordinator, enabling you to test the application with your own information.
The trial period lasts for 30 days, and no credit or debit card details are required. At the end of the trial, should you decide to continue with MyFundAccounting, you can seamlessly sign up and retain the information you have entered, ensuring a smooth transition.
MyGiving – We understand the challenges you face in managing donations effectively while staying true to your mission. That’s why we have developed MyGiving.Online a comprehensive upgrade that goes beyond mere efficiency. With MyGiving.Online, you’ll experience a seamless and intuitive platform that respects the unique needs of your organisation.
But it doesn’t stop there. MyGiving.Online is carefully designed to cultivate a sense of connection
and trust with your donors. Our innovative features empower you to provide a seamless giving
experience, fostering a deeper sense of community and engagement. You’ll be able to strengthen
relationships, express gratitude and keep your supporters informed about the incredible work you’re doing.
Moreover, rest assured that your compliance with HMRC regulations is made simple and stress-free.
Our platform ensures that you effortlessly meet the necessary requirements. Choose MyGiving.Online as your partner in growth, and together, we’ll empower your organisation
to flourish, amplify your impact, and create a brighter future for those you serve.
Experience the power of MyGiving first-hand with our free trial. The trial period lasts for 30 days, and no credit or debit card details are required. At the end of the trial, should you decide to continue with MyGiving, you can seamlessly sign up and retain the information you have entered, ensuring a smooth transition.
MyFoodbank – Say goodbye to overwhelming manual processes and embrace a harmonious workflow that frees up your valuable time and resources. With our user-friendly interface and 24/7 accessibility, you can effortlessly manage the administration of your foodbank from anywhere, allowing you to focus on what truly matters – making a positive impact on the lives you serve.
We have worked with a number of foodbanks to develop our innovative and transformational foodbank administration software to simplify and automate a number of the processes to enable foodbanks to help more people and reduce the stress on volunteers and staff.
if you don’t have a website for your foodbank, that’s no problem our software includes a free website builder, with secure hosting and a free Donate Now button. Simply enter the text, upload a couple of pictures and you’re ready to go
Try our new Foodbank administration software first-hand with our free trial. The trial period lasts for 30 days, and no credit or debit card details are required. At the end of the trial, should you decide to continue with MyFoodbank, you can seamlessly sign up and retain the information you have entered, ensuring a smooth transition.
Fundraising website easyfundraising turns online shopping into money for your church. When anyone in your church community shops online with any of over 7,500 well known retailers, every purchase they make results in a free monetary donation for your church.
Thousands of retailers like Amazon, eBay, John Lewis, Etsy, M&S, Screwfix, Waitrose, Argos, Eden, Boots, Trainline and Eden are involved. They will give back a percentage of what an online shopper spends to your church; for free. It’s like using a cashback site, but instead of one individual benefiting, volunteers and the local community can pull together and raise for your church.
Your supporters simply start their shopping journey at the easyfundraising website or app and the brand they shop with will send your church a donation based on how much is spent. This will not cost anything extra as the brand pays the donation, not the shopper.
Every 3 months you receive all the donations raised by shoppers supporting you, paid directly into your church’s bank account or by cheque, which you can put towards a particular project; or keep for a rainy day.
What’s in it for your church?
Not only does easyfundraising allow your church to create a continual income stream that fundraisers and raffles are unable to offer, especially in the current climate, it also enables people to give without it coming directly out of their pockets.
What do other churches think?
“easyfundraising has been a brilliant way for us to raise free money for our church. We have found that signing up just one local business, who use a lot of the websites, has boosted our funds enormously in a very short space of time. What is there not to love about this.” – Elizabeth E, Holy Trinity Church
Getting started
• Create your church profile on the easyfundraising site.
• Get familiar with easyfundraising. You can book a call with one of the team, who will show you around, so you are up to speed on how the site works. They will also show you how to track your supporters and the free funding they will help you generate.
• Use the free marketing tools including social media copy, images, posters, and flyers in your easyfundraising account to tell your church community how easy it is for them to support you when they shop online. easyfundraising can also provide bespoke posters and flyers which will include a QR code and image of your church. Register your church for free here: www.easyfundraising.org.uk/acat
“Introducing Liberty Accounts: Streamlining Financial Management for Churches and Charities
Managing the finances of churches and charities can be a challenging task. With limited resources and a need for transparency, organisations often struggle to find an accounting solution that meets their unique requirements. That’s where Liberty Accounts comes in.
Liberty Accounts is a cloud-based accounting and payroll software designed to meet the requirements of churches and charities. Our platform offers a range of features that streamline financial management, providing organisations with the tools they need to effectively track and report on their finances.
One of the key benefits of Liberty Accounts is its user-friendly interface. Even for those with limited accounting knowledge, our intuitive software makes it easy to navigate and input financial data.
As important are the features that Liberty Accounts delivers for churches and charities above standard commercial features (including full customer and supplier ledgers where required). These features include:
Fund accounting (restricted, unrestricted etc);
Handling Fund transfers;
Additional cost centre analysis (Activity and Department);
Account terminology as used in the sector;
Integrated donor ledger;
Gift Aid claim preparation and online filing;
Integrated payroll with analysis at organisation or employee level, across Funds/Departments/Activity;
Budgeting by organisation or Fund and/or Activity and/or Department;
Reporting by Funds/Department/Activity;
Reporting of SORP compliant Statement of Financial Activities (I&E or R&P)
Reporting of the Return of Parish Finance for the Anglican Church.
Liberty Accounts simplifies the entire process.
If all of the above sounds daunting then not to worry as Liberty Accounts is customisable to the charity/church requirement i.e. menu options are only shown where the optional features (as well as customer/supplier ledgers) are a requirement for the church/charity. Understanding that individuals within a church/charity often have specific roles the individual users can be assigned a role that could, if appropriate, further restrict the menu options available to them. There is NO additional cost for any extra users.
Transparency is crucial for churches and charities, as donors and stakeholders want to ensure their contributions are being handled responsibly. With Liberty Accounts, organisations can easily generate reports that provide a clear overview of their financial standing. In addition to full fund management the system offers the analysis, reporting and budgeting to funds and/or departments and/or activities of transactions including payroll costs. This not only helps build trust with donors but also ensures compliance with regulatory requirements. Each transaction has a full audit trial to aid the work of the Independent Examiner and/or Auditor.
In addition to its comprehensive features, Liberty Accounts offers the convenience and flexibility of cloud-based technology. Accessible from any device with an internet connection, organisations can securely manage their finances from anywhere at any time.
Furthermore, Liberty Accounts understands the unique financial challenges faced by churches and charities. Our software is tailored to accommodate specific requirements such as fund accounting, gift aid management, Gift Aid Claim submission to HMRC, accounts templates for different faith-based organisations and charities; and reporting of the Return of Parish Finance for Anglican churches. With Liberty Accounts, organisations can rest assured that their financial management needs are met.
In conclusion, Liberty Accounts provides a reliable and user-friendly cloud accounting and payroll solution for churches and charities. Try Liberty Accounts today and experience the difference it can make for your church or charity and/or sign up to any of our free online training courses.”
Thank you again for attending ACAT 2024 Conference, and we hope to see you soon at our future events!
