TO BE PUBLISHED April 2026
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Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will examine priorities for the charity sector as policy and regulatory reforms move into implementation. The discussion will bring out latest thinking on key issues for charities as they respond to cost pressures, income uncertainty and shifting expectations on governance, fundraising, data use and reporting.
It will bring key stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss the Civil Society Covenant, at a point where work is moving from principles into early delivery infrastructure, including the formation of the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council and first practical steps on local-level partnerships.
Key policy developments
The discussion comes as government and sector bodies focus on what the Civil Society Covenant is expected to mean in practice for commissioning, funding processes and partnership working. This includes how collaboration should operate across central government, devolved administrations and local authorities - and, where relevant, alongside private sector partners - as well as the implications of parallel policy and legislative developments for stakeholder expectations around charities’ independence, advocacy activity and the conditions under which they are funded.
Delegates will also consider immediate operational implications of reforms now in force or entering key implementation periods, including the new Code of Fundraising Practice, charitable purpose soft opt-in under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, and the updated Statement of Recommended Practice 2026.
Civil Society Covenant implementation practicalities
Early experience of applying the principles set out in the Civil Society Covenant will be assessed, including effective practice in fostering partnership agreements, wider participation across different parts of the sector, and workable arrangements for joint oversight and accountability. Delegates will discuss next practical steps as the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council moves through appointment, including early priorities for Task and Finish Groups - in areas such as commissioning and local partnerships - and forms of support that may be needed for consistent implementation across departments and delivery bodies.
With the Local Covenant Partnerships Fund competition live, attendees will consider how local covenants could work in practice between local authorities and the voluntary sector, including priorities for selecting delivery partners, defining outcomes, and resourcing collaboration without adding disproportionate administrative burden. Delegates will also consider what can be learned from early partnership-based initiatives that depend on effective collaboration between the NHS, local services and specialist charities, including Diagnosis Connect, and practicalities around referral routes, data sharing and feedback loops.
Sessions will also assess updated grant standards and wider funding approaches in relation to the Covenant’s aims, including expectations around transparency, proportionate terms, and avoiding clauses that stakeholders could consider constraining to legitimate advocacy. Further discussion is expected on funding distribution and philanthropy, including approaches to core-cost support, longer-term or unrestricted funding, and the role of trusts, foundations and corporate donors in addressing gaps where statutory or contract income is limited.
Workforce priorities
Longer-term sector pressures - including rising workforce costs and recruitment and retention constraints - will be considered, alongside the Charity Commission’s Charity Sector Risk Assessment 2025, looking at implications for resilience, delivery capacity and compliance readiness
Delegates will assess priorities for trustees and senior leadership in balancing service demand, staff wellbeing and financial controls, as well as areas where government and regulators may need to consider the cumulative effects of reform and reporting expectations on smaller organisations.
New Code of Fundraising Practice
Sessions will consider early implementation of the revised Code of Fundraising Practice and what the transition to a more principles-based framework means for organisations of different sizes, different fundraising models and third-party platforms. Areas for discussion include protecting fundraisers from harassment, requirements for record-keeping and prize competitions, and approaches to strengthening compliance in higher-risk channels - including concerns raised by some stakeholders about unlicensed street fundraising and its implications for public confidence.
Data protection and use, effective practice and staff training
Effective approaches to data use and protection will be discussed following commencement of charitable purpose soft opt-in under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, including practical steps charities may need to take on staff training, governance, and privacy policy updates. With further guidance expected following the Information Commissioner’s Office consultation, delegates will consider points where interpretation remains sensitive in practice, including acquisition of contact details, the meaning of expressions of interest, restrictions on commercial usage, and handling of third-party data.
Governance structures, trustee responsibilities and accountability
Regulatory and governance reform will be examined, including trustee responsibilities and the Charity Commission’s expanded powers, and what this may mean in practice for board decision-making, assurance over financial controls, and management of reputational and delivery risk.
With measures in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill aimed at restructuring local government, discussion is expected on the role that civil society might play in devolved arrangements and local service delivery, and accountability requirements where responsibilities are shared across sectors. Early selection and funding of Local Covenant Partnerships will also be discussed in this context, including priorities for governance, transparency and decision-making when initiatives are led or convened locally.
Finance, reporting requirements and oversight
Changes to reporting and audit thresholds will be addressed, including options for reducing administrative requirements while maintaining confidence in transparency and the reliability of charity reporting for donors, commissioners and regulators.
In relation to financial periods starting January 2026, delegates will assess early effects of the SORP 2026, including tiered reporting, accounts preparation and trustees’ annual reports, strengthened expectations around sustainability and environmental, social and governance reporting, and implications for charities with limited finance capacity. Reform to financial thresholds and updated trustee requirements for moral ex gratia payments will also be discussed, including priorities for transparency, timeliness, and proportionate regulatory oversight.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department of Health and Social Care; Information Commissioner’s Office; Ofcom; Home Office; and Department for Communities, NI.
