Page 154 - Demo

IN TERMS OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE CHARITY, IS IT NECESSARY TO COVER EVERYTHING EVERY YEAR?
The answer is “no” and it might be better to try and concentrate on a
speci c theme or area of work each year while ensuring that anything of real signi cance is covered. This ensures that the report is not too long and it means that it varies from year to year, capturing the readers’ attention.
This section of the report should explain the extent to which the achievements of the charity have met its aims and objectives. It should give a balanced picture explaining progress by reference to milestones, indicators and benchmarks. Where the charity uses qualitative or quantitative information to assess the outcome or impact of the activities, the report should include a summary of the measures or indicators used. For example, this may be particularly relevant to those religious institute charities that run schools (where details of exam results, inspections, pupil numbers, extra-curricular activities etc. may be informative) and/or care homes (where details of resident statistics, CQC reports, occupancy, etc. may be helpful).
In the case of the social and pastoral work of individual members, this is best addressed by giving brief case-studies which can be anonymised if desired.
Case studies can also be used to demonstrate the effect that donations have had – particularly when given to overseas missions where immense poverty or distress may have been relieved as a result.
This section of the report couples as the section in which the charity explains the public bene t it brings or impact it has on direct bene ciaries and on society as a whole. The concept of “impact” is useful to have at the back of one’s mind when drafting this section.
Remember also that the report should comment on both positive and negative factors within and beyond the charity’s control which have affected the achievement of its ambitions. These factors may include the death of a speci c member, the refusal of planning permission, a fall in world stock markets that has resulted in the use of greater caution, the loss of a key staff members,
and so on.
150 Chapter 8