The CFG Podcast

Getting to grips with impact investment

The CFG Podcast

Show Notes

If you’re beginning to explore charity investing or have years of experience in this space, there’s valuable food for thought in this podcast, especially for charity finance professionals, senior leadership teams and trustees. CFG’s David Ainsworth was joined by Ben Palmer of the Brooks Macdonald Charities team to discuss some of the key trends and issues around impact investing, and how charities can develop a positive and inclusive approach.

More from The CFG Podcast

Oct 21, 2026

In this episode, CFG’s Communications Coordinator, Glyn Sheldon, speaks to two guests with first-hand experience of the power of peer mentoring. Nicki Deeson, a Leadership Coach and Executive Mentor has helped run CFG’s programme and was chair of CFG between 2017 and 2019. And Nicki is joined by Henrietta Atkinson, Director of Operations at Breast Cancer Charity CoppaFeel! who has recently participated in the programme. Together they share some personal insights from the programme, provide an overview of what participants can expect to get out of peer mentoring, and explain how it can be truly transformational for themselves and their organisations. Tuesday 27 October is National Mentoring Day and it's an opportunity to celebrate all the peer mentors who have taken part in the scheme and are using their mentoring skills to benefit our sector every day. The 2026 cohort of the CFG Peer Mentoring Programme is currently underway, and we’ve already received some great feedback from this year’s participants. If you’re interested in taking part in the next cohort, please get in touch at [email protected]. And to find out more about CFG's membership, head to the CFG website.

Apr 22, 2026

CFG's Communications Coordinator, Glyn Sheldon, speaks to three guests who've experienced making the move from the corporate world, into the charity sector: Clive MacTavish from British Red Cross, Andrew Lowe from Leeds Mind and CFG's new Finance and Operations Director, Sarah Ann Moore. The guests explain their journey from the private sector, what they wish they'd known, and explain what charities and businesses can learn from one another. The episode also explores the topic of financial benchmarking, and looks at whether charities could be more transparent about their costs, as well as questions around how to align strategy and impact. For more information about understanding your costs, read our new Know Your Cost Base publication Check out CFG's membership benefits here: Charity Finance Group | Special Interest Groups Read articles on a range of topics on the CFG Knowledge Hub here: Charity Finance Group | Knowledge Hub See all of CFG's events here: Events | CFG

Dec 3, 2025

CFG's Co-CEO Clare Mills sits down with Alison Taylor (CEO) and Richard Hunt* (Chief Commercial Officer) from CAF Bank to explore the bank's digital transformation journey. Alison and Richard get candid about what drove CAF Bank to make bold changes – and reveal the hard-won lessons they've picked up along the way. Essential listening for whether you're already navigating your own digital transformation or just getting started.

Jul 16, 2025

The responses are in and the Charities SORP consultation has now closed. Charity accounting expert Naziar Hashemi (Crowe UK) and Richard Sagar (CFG) talk to CFG's Sarah Lomax about the consultation process, what the responses looked like, and what charities can do to prepare for when the new SORP comes into effect.

Jun 12, 2025

The Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) is about to get an overhaul. CFG's Head of Policy, Richard Sagar, talks to SORP experts Carol Rudge and Debra Allcock-Tyler about what could change and how it could impact charities, large and small. If you want to understand more about the new Charities SORP, you won't want to miss this episode!

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