Investment knowledge centre

Learn about charity investing

Whether you’re new to investing or you’ve been investing for years, our resources can help you make the most of your charity’s funds.

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Welcome to the Charities Aid Foundation

We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

Personal giving From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions. Corporate giving You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals. Services for charities Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient. Insights Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact About us We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work. Donate  
 
 
 

Personal giving

From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions.

DISCOVER OUR PERSONAL GIVING SOLUTIONS

Corporate giving

You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals.

DISCOVER OUR CORPORATE GIVING SOLUTIONS

Services for charities

Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient.

DISCOVER HOW WE SUPPORT CHARITIES

Insights

Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact

Explore

About us

We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

Find out more about CAF

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF INVESTING?

Whatever the size of your charity, making the most of your funds is one of the biggest responsibilities you face. As a charity, there are several reasons you might want to invest your money:

  • Maximise your long-term funds, in line with the Charity Commission guidance.
  • Generate a sustainable, reliable income to support your charity.
  • The potential to grow your money to expand in the future.
  • Could protect your funds against the impact of inflation.
  • The potential to generate better returns than holding cash in a bank account.

What should we invest in?

We can't make those decisions for you, but we can help your charity get started with investing. If you need guidance, talk to an independent financial adviser before investing. When speaking to an adviser, make sure they have experience in advising charities about investing – and ask for references.

How do I calculate our risk appetite?

Every investment carries risks, even a simple cash deposit, but it's important to understand and manage them. You need to think about everything from how comfortable you are that the total value of your charity's assets might fluctuate, to how easily you need to access your money.

Our article on writing an investment policy includes some things to think about when calculating your appetite for risk

Should we speak to an independent financial advisor?

Different investments suit different investors; an independent financial adviser can assess your individual circumstances and offer investment advice for your charity, including an overview of your investment options, recommendations for the best route and provide ongoing support as you manage your charity's funds.

Investment involves risk. The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up and an investor may get back less than the amount invested.  There is no guarantee about the level of capital or income returns that will be generated. Past performance is not a guide to future results.

CAF Financial Solutions Limited (CFSL) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under registration number 189450. CFSL Registered office is 25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent ME19 4TA. Registered in England and Wales under number 2771873. CFSL is a subsidiary of Charities Aid Foundation (registered charity number 268369).