For charities and not-for-profits

Financial pressure is quietly affecting your organisation.
We identify exactly where, and fix it.

Not a wellbeing initiative. A structured diagnostic and improvement service for charity CEOs, trustees and leadership teams — built to protect mission delivery, strengthen organisational resilience, and demonstrate responsible governance.

No cost · No obligation · Built for organisations where every person matters

The hidden cost of financial pressure

What financial stress is already costing the sector

These are sector-wide figures. The shape of every charity is different, but the categories of impact are consistent: lost focus, increased absence, and the cost of replacing people who leave.

£51bn
Lost in UK productivity each year linked to financial stress
£6.2bn
Cost of financial stress through absenteeism and presenteeism
9.4
Average sickness absence days per employee, a record high
50–200%
Typical cost of replacing a mid-level employee as a share of salary
The entry point

The Charity Performance Audit

A structured, no-cost diagnostic that identifies whether financial pressure is affecting performance in your charity, and what a proportionate response looks like. The first step before anything is introduced or agreed.

01

A structured two-part conversation

A diagnostic of where financial pressure may be affecting focus, retention, and mission delivery. An honest assessment of whether your current pension and benefits setup is working. A written summary you can take to trustees or your senior team.

02

Clarity before any commitment

A clear view of whether this is an issue in your specific organisation. Practical, proportionate next steps — whether action is needed or not. An understanding of what it may be costing you to leave it unaddressed.

03

No cost. No obligation. Nothing pitched.

Two short conversations, designed around your time. Nothing is recommended without the Audit completing first. Whether there is an issue or not, you come away with a clearer picture than you had going in.

Book a Charity Performance Audit

Where there is an issue, we address it

Three structured outcomes

The Audit identifies whether action is needed. Where it is, a structured three-part programme addresses the root cause — built around your charity, your staff, and your constraints. Each pillar is introduced only where it earns its place.

01

Clarity

Understanding what you have

A structured review of your pension, benefits, and financial support arrangements — identifying gaps, inefficiencies, and spend that is not performing. Staff begin to understand and value what is already in place.

Outcome Improved return on existing spend. Savings redirected to your mission. In one recent engagement, pension charge reductions alone saved £45,000 per year.
02

Confidence

Helping staff feel in control

Practical financial education for your team — covering budgeting, debt, pensions, and planning — delivered in a format that makes it feel achievable, not overwhelming. One-to-one guidance from a regulated financial planner where needed, at no cost to staff.

Outcome Reduced financial anxiety. Higher daily focus and engagement. A team present and contributing — not distracted by money worries.
03

Stability

Ongoing support over time

Continued access to tools, guidance, and partner services through the Aetas Collective — sustaining the improvements made and building financial resilience across your team year after year.

Outcome Improved retention. A stronger employer proposition. A governance story you can tell trustees and funders with confidence.
Why this approach is different

Not an EAP. Not a benefits platform. A board-level consultancy service for charities.

Most financial wellbeing solutions are designed for large corporate employers. They rely on broad platforms, generic content, and the assumption that staff will engage independently. In a charity, where every person matters and every pound matters more, the stakes are simply higher.

01

The Audit comes first, always

Nothing is introduced without first understanding your charity, your team, and where pressure is actually showing up. No two programmes look the same.

02

Evidence-led, not sentiment-led

Every recommendation has a rationale. If the numbers do not justify it, we say so. Fees are presented alongside identified savings so you see the net position before approving anything.

03

Managed throughout

We coordinate delivery, handle staff communications, and oversee implementation. Your leadership team has full visibility without managing providers yourselves.

04

A governance story for trustees

Clear documentation of what has been introduced and the outcomes achieved — supporting responsible governance reporting to trustees, funders, and other stakeholders.

An additional opportunity

Supporting your income as well as your people

For charities, an engagement can open conversations that connect directly to your income strategy. Introduced only where there is genuine appetite — not products, but conversations structured with confidence.

A

Legacy giving programmes

Gifts in wills are one of the most significant sources of charitable income. Many supporters who would consider leaving a legacy have never been asked. We help you introduce a structured legacy giving programme — supporting the conversation with supporters and the practical planning that makes a gift in wills feel achievable.

Built around how your supporters give
B

Corporate donation schemes

Many businesses are looking for meaningful ways to support charities. We help you build a structured corporate giving proposition — including payroll giving, matched donation schemes, and employee volunteering frameworks — that makes it straightforward for businesses to partner with your organisation.

Structured to make giving easy for partners
How it works

Three stages, light on your team throughout

From first conversation to ongoing programme — designed to be proportionate to your charity and minimal in its demands on your leadership team.

01

Charity Performance Audit

A no-cost, two-part conversation to understand your charity, your team, and your current arrangements across pension, benefits, and staff support. No obligation beyond the conversation.

02

Diagnostic and planning

A structured diagnostic identifies which elements will have the greatest impact. Nothing is recommended that does not fit your context and constraints. A clear plan is agreed — and presented to trustees — before anything is introduced.

03

Managed delivery and review

We coordinate delivery, manage staff communications, and review impact on an ongoing basis. Your leadership team has full visibility without being required to manage providers themselves.

Common questions

What charity leaders typically ask

What is a Charity Performance Audit?

The Charity Performance Audit is a structured, no-cost diagnostic process. It identifies whether financial pressure is affecting your organisation — in staff retention, daily focus, absence, engagement and leadership capacity — and produces a written assessment with proportionate next steps. Two short conversations, no obligation, useful on its own or as the first step in a broader programme.

How does financial pressure affect charities specifically?

In a charity, financial pressure among staff affects concentration, engagement, decision quality and retention — all of which translate directly into reduced mission delivery. The underlying cause is rarely visible to leadership until it has already cost the organisation significantly in programme performance, funder relationships, and people.

What does this cost?

The Charity Performance Audit is always provided at no cost, regardless of whether further work follows. Where a programme is recommended, fees are per-employee, agreed in writing, and presented alongside the savings the Audit identifies — so trustees see the net position before approving. Indicative full programme rates for charities run from around £140 to £165 per employee per year.

Is this appropriate for trustees to consider?

Yes. This service is specifically designed to be governed and reported at board level. The Audit produces a written summary suitable for trustee discussion. Ongoing reporting covers financial savings, workforce outcomes, and engagement metrics — in a format designed for board updates and major funder conversations. Supporting staff financially is not just a wellbeing question: it is a governance and mission-resilience question.

See all FAQs

Get started

Two ways to take the next step

Both are provided at no cost and carry no obligation.

A

Book a Charity Performance Audit

A focused conversation with Matthew Steiner to identify whether financial pressure is affecting performance in your charity and what it may be costing — in retention, focus, and mission delivery.

  • No obligation beyond the conversation itself
  • Written summary suitable for trustees
  • Available by video or phone, at a time that suits you

Book an Audit

B

Take the 12-question diagnostic

A short self-assessment across three areas of charity organisational performance. Takes around five minutes and produces a scored picture of where your gaps may be — useful on its own or as context for an Audit conversation.

  • Twelve questions across three areas
  • Scored results with tailored interpretation
  • No data stored, results shown only to you

Start the diagnostic