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bene t. Public bene t will also be demonstrated through members of the institute continuing to provide social and pastoral work within local communities and through the provision of charitable donations – either to the institute’s missions overseas, including its generalate, or to other charitable organisations
Ÿ Traditionally, institutes have been responsible for some very important charitable works or missions such as schools, hospitals and homes. Many have already given consideration to the future of these institutions and will have made decisions and taken action regarding them already. They are often the works that will form part of the institute’s lasting legacy and so in many cases their future will need to be safeguarded and the institute may retain some involvement even if only at a governance level
Ÿ Having thought about the future of traditional major works, it is important also to give consideration to the future work of the members of the institute. In most cases this will be some form of what might generally be described as social and pastoral work. What type of work members are going to become involved in going forward is important as this may impact on training requirements and determine where the member needs to be located and hence will have implications for the institute’s future
property needs
Ÿ Inevitably, some members of the institute will need care as they grow older and this is likely to have signi cant implications for the institute’s nances going forward. Decisions such as, how you intend to care for your elderly and where, need forward planning and different options may need to be investigated with a view to deciding on what is best for the individual concerned and the institute. For example, care might be provided in the institute’s own communities, in care homes (managed by the institute, lay people or specialist charities that take responsibility for managing care homes in return for a management fee) or in homes operated by other organisations (including religious)
Ÿ All of these options have different implications for staf ng, housing needs and ultimately the institute’s nances. The cost should not be under-estimated!
Ÿ Some institutes in the years ahead will be in the fortunate position of having excess funds as properties are sold. One of the decisions that needs to be taken is whether those funds are to be donated to other organisations such as other charities or to the institute’s own work overseas. There are both governance and nancial implications to these two options. It may be that there is no desire to give funds to other
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