The Charity Commission expects that all churches will have policy that sets out clearly how the church manages its finances – however much or little that might be. Find out more on our Church Policies page.
Finance and accounting support
Each FIEC affiliated church can benefit from block membership with the Association of Church Accountants and Treasurers (ACAT), a charity that provides training and support to church treasurers and others involved in church finance and administration.
Block membership benefits
ACAT exists to ensure that church treasurers get the most out of their role and provides a range of resources which are continually updated and developed based on changes to the law and member feedback:
- An online handbook, currently containing 25 chapters covering core treasury and fundraising topics, as well as other areas of administration such as health & safety and data protection.
- A regular newsletter keeping members informed of recent changes in legislation, charity news, and upcoming ACAT training courses.
- An advice line, accessible online or via telephone, to speak with ACAT’s team of experts.
- Other online training resources, videos, and consultation papers.
These resources are accessed through the Members Area of the ACAT website. If you have never logged into the site before, get in touch with either ACAT or FIEC to obtain instructions and login details (you will initially log in using the FIEC common login details and then be prompted to create an individual member account).
Training for church treasurers
ACAT runs affordable training courses for treasurers, trustees, and anyone else involved in church finance. They also provide training in other areas such as legal duties of trustees, health and safety, risk management, employment, and data protection.
Training courses are run online and at locations across the UK. Details and booking for upcoming training, including ACAT’s flagship course “Being a Treasurer: the Basics”, can be found on the ACAT website.
ACAT also runs an annual conference, delivered by specialist guest speakers from various industry sectors, churches and public bodies. Details and booking can be found on the ACAT Conference web page.
The role of the Treasurer
Resources to help church leaders support and care for treasurers in their churches.
