Not-for-profit Services
Providing Everything You Need
Not-for-Profit Finance Support
Helping you focus on purpose, not paperwork.
At Root Finance, we understand that every penny matters when you're working for impact. Whether you’re a charity, social enterprise, or community-led organisation in the social justice sector, your finance function should support your mission—not distract from it.
We offer not-for-profit organisations flexible, expert financial support. From bookkeepers and accounts assistants to finance managers, controllers, and heads of finance, our team can support part or all of your finance function—giving you the insight, control, and confidence to make every pound count.
Finance with Purpose
Not-for-profit finance isn’t straightforward. Navigating the line between trade and non-trade income, understanding how VAT and tax status interact, and ensuring donations and grants aren’t mistakenly taxed—all require careful planning and expert handling.
Get it wrong, and your funding can fall short of expectations. Get it right, and you maximise your ability to direct resources where they’re needed most.
We help organisations create robust processes and clear policies so funding streams are treated correctly from the start. We’re also experienced in Gift Aid reporting, ensuring eligible donations are correctly recorded and submitted, so you don’t miss out on valuable reclaimed income.
Building Funder Confidence Through Clarity
Many social justice organisations receive funding from trusts and foundations, often with a mix of restricted and unrestricted income. Clear tracking and reporting is vital—not only to meet funder expectations but to demonstrate accountability and good stewardship.
We support your team with the tools and expertise to report back accurately and confidently—building strong funder relationships and keeping your organisation grant-ready.
We’re also experienced in reporting to Boards, preparing finance packs and papers that communicate the right level of detail, enabling strong governance and informed decision-making.
Confidence Through Clarity
We help you look forward—not just backward.
Clear, tailored budgeting and forecasting helps your organisation plan well, identify upcoming funding gaps, and make confident decisions. We build forecasts that don’t just cover the top line, but also factor in:
- Restricted vs unrestricted spend
- Reserve levels
- Cashflow peaks and dips
- Grant timelines and deadlines
This gives your team the visibility to manage spend effectively and feel empowered to act within funding parameters—without fear of overspend or underspend. It also ensures Trustees, leadership teams, and budget holders can plan for the future with confidence.
We also help monitor and manage cashflow and reserves, ensuring you're balancing short-term delivery with long-term sustainability.
Streamlined Controls, Without the Admin Overload
Grant funders and auditors expect to see strong approval processes and financial controls in place. But managing those manually can be time-consuming and draining.
We introduce simple, secure systems that streamline approvals, reduce admin, and strengthen controls—so you meet your obligations without losing precious capacity to paperwork.
Embedded Support, Backed by Experts
Our finance professionals are employed by Root Finance, which means we take care of all employment responsibilities—from payroll and training to CPD and wellbeing. You benefit from a highly skilled individual, backed by a collaborative team of specialists across charity finance, tax, VAT, systems, and more.
They can work under your organisation’s banner, attend team and Board meetings, and be seen externally as part of your internal finance team. Whether you need short-term cover, extra support during a funding review, or long-term embedded expertise—we flex to fit.
And when in-person matters, we’re ready. Based in Swansea, our team is directly on the Swansea to London Paddington line, making Bristol, Reading, and London easily accessible for face-to-face meetings. You’re always welcome to visit us too.
Purpose-Aligned, Tech-Enabled
We use technology where it counts—whether it’s automating expense claims, improving fund reporting, or creating dashboards that help Boards and funders see the bigger picture. At the same time, we ensure that tax treatments, income classifications, and Gift Aid submissions are handled with accuracy, care, and compliance.
At Root Finance, we combine people, process and purpose to help not-for-profits like yours build a strong financial foundation—so you can focus on the change you’re here to make.
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Do we need to employ the finance staff directly?No—our team members are fully employed by Root Finance. We handle payroll, HR, training and ongoing development. You get embedded support without the overhead.
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Can your team use our systems?Absolutely. We can work with your existing finance systems or help implement new tools if needed.
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How quickly can support begin?We can often mobilise support quickly—whether it’s interim cover, project-specific help, or longer-term capacity.
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Will we get continuity with the same person?Yes—our goal is to provide consistent, ongoing support. But you're also backed by our wider team.
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Do you offer in-person support?Yes. Our team is based in Swansea, with easy access to Reading, Bristol and London via the Paddington line.