Client Profile
- Industry: Non-Profit / NGO
- Region: UK & Africa
- Service Line: Accounting Advisory
- Malander Office: Malander UK
The Challenge
As donor expectations and compliance requirements continue to evolve, international non-profit organisations are increasingly focused on enhancing financial transparency and governance.
With growing operations across multiple jurisdictions, a mission-driven international NGO recognised the need to strengthen its internal financial reporting and governance in line with increasing donor expectations and cross-border compliance requirements.
While the organisation already maintained sound accounting practices, leadership proactively sought external advisory support to refine key financial processes- particularly around fund tracking, intercompany allocations, and balance sheet classifications. The goal was to reinforce donor confidence, improve audit readiness, and ensure financial reports reflect operational substance across its UK and African entities.
Malander UK was engaged to focus on improving the presentation and structure of its financial data for the year ending 31 December 2025.
The Solution: Laser focused Analysis
Malander UK was appointed to resolve the challenge with a focus on analysing Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet allocations.
Scope of Work Included:
- Review of account allocations based on trial balance and general ledger data
- Assessment of grant income treatment and inter-entity transactions
- Evaluation of payroll and consultant classifications in the context of UK compliance
- High-level recommendations to improve financial structure, clarity, and reporting alignment
The engagement was advisory in nature – designed to complement the client’s internal capabilities while providing independent insights that could be practically implemented.
Key Observations and Recommendations
- Chart of Accounts Streamlining
Proposed structural changes to improve financial clarity and enable easier reporting across entities. - Enhanced Grant Tracking via Xero
Recommended implementing tracking categories for project-level visibility, critical for restricted funding management.
- Revenue Recognition Alignment
Supported the classification of restricted vs. unrestricted funds and clarified treatment of intermediary income.
- Expense Consistency and Audit Trail
Advised on standardising how expenses are recorded, improving control and reconciliation processes.
- Consultant and Payroll Review
Identified areas for improved classification and flagged potential IR35 considerations, ensuring better alignment with UK labour regulations.
- Intercompany Transaction Accuracy
Recommended clear recording and segregation of inter-entity charges and recharges to enhance transparency.
- Balance Sheet Refinements
Suggested reallocation of capitalised assets and treatment of loans in accordance with underlying agreements and operational intent.
The Outcome: Stronger Reporting, Smarter Governance
The engagement provided the organisation with clear, actionable recommendations that enhanced internal control, simplified donor reporting, and reinforced audit preparedness – without requiring any major system overhauls or process disruption.
Results Achieved:
- Improved transparency in multi-entity financial reporting
- Enhanced audit trail and documentation procedures
- Greater funder alignment through accurate income and expenditure matching
- Compliance readiness across payroll, benefits, and intercompany activity
This engagement highlights how NGOs can benefit from outsourced accounting for charities and targeted regulatory & compliance finance support, especially when operating across multiple regions with diverse funding models.
“Malander’s team offered practical insights and showed a clear understanding of the non-profit sector. Their support helped us build on what we had and sharpen our reporting for stakeholders.”
CFO – International NGO
Conclusion
Transparent, accurate financial reporting is vital to building and maintaining trust in the NGO sector. Malander UK’s engagement is a proven example of how specialist support can help organisations optimise their finance function, demonstrate accountability, and meet evolving donor expectations across borders.
Speak to Malander Advisory to explore how our tailored advisory and finance outsourcing solutions can support your organisation’s mission.