What could go wrong.
WHAT RISKS ARE COMMON
Funding ending A key person leaving Safeguarding failures Fraud or misuse of funds Security risks to staff Reputational damage Regulatory non-compliance
WHY SAFEGUARDING AND FRAUD ARE THE MOST SERIOUS
They cause harm and they end organisations.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
A risk register An owner for each risk Controls Review
WHAT CONTROLS REDUCE FRAUD RISK
Separation of duties More than one bank signatory Authorisation limits Independent examination Physical controls over cash and goods
WHY CASH AND GOODS MATTER
Distribution programmes handle both, frequently in difficult conditions.
WHAT TO DOCUMENT
Distribution: who received what, when, verified.
WHY
It is what protects staff from accusation as much as it protects the organisation.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT STAFF SECURITY
Where they travel What arrangements exist What to do in an incident Who is contacted
WHY IT MATTERS
Some work occurs in difficult or unsafe areas.
WHAT TO PROVIDE
Training, communication arrangements and clear limits.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Send people into situations without assessment.
WHAT TO PLAN FOR
Loss of a principal funder Loss of the founder
WHY THE FOUNDER SPECIFICALLY
Many nonprofits depend entirely on one person.
WHAT TO BUILD
Succession, deliberately.
