Investments

INVESTMENT ADVICE FOR CHARITIES

If you’re investing or thinking of investing and need advice, we have the information you need to get started.

 

The value of investments may fall as well as rise. You may not get back the full amount that you originally invested. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. There is no guarantee about the level of capital or income returns that will be generated.

INVESTMENT ADVICE

Whether you’re a seasoned charity investor, or new to the world of investments, you may need some guidance or recommendations to help you plan and manage your charity’s portfolio.

CAF Financial Solutions Limited does not provide financial advice, however we can give you information about organisations that can help.

What is investment advice?

There are two types of advice available – independent and restricted:

Independent advice – where advisors can offer advice on the full range of products and service providers available.
Restricted advice – where advisors offer advice on a limited selection of products and service providers.

All advisors have to be approved and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). For more information about investment advice, visit:

Charity Commission – CC14

Why should my charity seek advice?

If your charity is investing its funds, it’s vital that your trustees understand their responsibilities as outlined in the Charity Commission’s CC14 guidance. This may include seeking expert investment advice when considering investing your charity’s money or reviewing your current investments.

You could have experience on your Board or within the organisation, but often an external professional view might offer a more objective approach.

What makes a good advisor?

Choosing your professional investment advisor is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your charity. As well as putting your charity’s needs first, there are several things to consider when choosing an advisor:

1. Are they authorised and qualified to give investment advice?
2. Do they have a good reputation; confident and trustworthy?
3. Do they have a good support team?
4. Are they qualified – do they have experience with charity investing and responsible investing?
5. Is their communication good?
6. Do they have a clear strategy for your investments and take a holistic view?
7. Are they proactive?
8. Do they have experience in the charity market?

KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER

Every charity’s needs and objectives are different, so we’ve put together some key points to cover when seeking advice:

NEW TO INVESTING

How can we ensure that our investments meet our charity’s goals and mission?

Do they meet our financial objectives?

Are they within our acceptable level of risk?

Do they meet our ethical investment policy?

How long should we invest for?

EXISTING INVESTORS

How often should we review our investment portfolio?

Do our funds have a strategy to adapt to changes in the commercial and political world?

Do our investments still reflect our objectives eg overall performance, income and capital returns and risk?

How our fund manager is performing; are they communicating well, reporting thoroughly and complying with our investment policy?

CAF Financial Solutions Limited does not provide financial advice, however we can give you information about organisations that can help.

WHERE CAN I GET ADVICE?

If you already have an advisor you can still use the CAF Investment Account, however if you do need professional advice, here are some options to explore.

VouchedFor

VouchedFor is an independent service which rates over 10,000 advisors.

Search for an advisor in your area

Unbiased

Unbiased has more than 27,000 advisors offering impartial and unbiased advice.

Find an advisor near you

Other sources of advice

Restricted and independent advice from the managers of our large range of Charity Specific Funds.

View the funds and their managers

TILNEY

Specialist investment and financial advice for charities

We have a close working relationship with Tilney, one the UK’s leading investment and financial planning firms.

Tilney offer dedicated investment and financial planning advice for charities and have a range of investment solutions that are designed specifically for charities.

Tilney operate on a restricted advice basis but do have access to the whole of the investment fund market via their funds and investment services.

Learn more about Tilney's investment advice for charities

Want to find out more?

INVESTMENTS FOR CHARITIES

For help and information about any aspect of investing for charities, get in touch with our experts

Contact us

INVESTMENT KNOWLEDGE CENTRE

Whether you’re new to investing or you’ve been investing for years, our resources can help you understand charity investing.

Visit the Investment knowledge centre
 
CAF Financial Solutions Limited (CFSL) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office is 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA. CFSL is a subsidiary of Charities Aid Foundation (registered charity number 268369).