If you plan for change and manage it effectively then you will avoid problems. Here are questions to help you consider your charity’s future.

1. Have you considered the future sustainability of the charity you manage – balancing what is needed now with what will be needed in the future?
2. Have you identified the mix of skills, knowledge and experience which the charity needs?
3. Have you reviewed whether your charity’s governing document gives you the powers you need to achieve the charity’s purposes and to manage resources effectively?
4. Have you started to review and assess the risks faced by the charity in all areas of work and to plans for the management of those risks?
5. Have you considered whether collaborations and partnerships with other organisations could improve efficiency, the use of funds and the better delivery of benefits and services to your charity’s users?
6. Have you reviewed whether the charity’s purposes as set out in the governing document are up to date and relevant to the needs of your charity’s users?
7. Do you identify emerging trends in the environment in which your charity operates and use this information as part of your planning processes?
8. Have you ensured financial sustainability by managing cash flow and monitoring and reviewing financial performance during the year?
9. Have you considered the sources of your charity’s income and have a strategy in place to raise the funds it needs - diversifying sources of income as far as possible?
10. Are you complying with your legal obligations (and best practice), as set out in the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP), to produce annual accounts and a report which includes an explanation of what the charity has done for the public benefit during the year?

See also:

• Milestones: Managing key events in the life of a charity (RS6)
• The Hallmarks of an Effective Charity (CC10)
• Avoiding problems in running your charity (risk management)