Create budgets you can use
Plan income and spending, track actuals, and spot issues early.
Understand profit, cashflow and reserves
Read key reports and explain what they mean for day-to-day decisions.
Strengthen financial controls
Set simple processes for payments, invoices, records and approvals.
Price with confidence
Work out direct and indirect costs, breakeven, and choose a pricing approach.
About the workshop
Managing finances can feel overwhelming when you’re focused on delivering impact. This practical workshop helps you get to grips with the basics you need to run a healthy social impact organisation. You’ll explore the building blocks of financial management and governance, the key documents you should understand, and the day-to-day habits that keep you in control.
Together we’ll look at how to build a simple budget, compare budget to actuals, and understand the difference between profit and cashflow. You’ll also cover balance sheets, reserves and working capital, plus the controls and record-keeping that support good decision-making. The session finishes with a clear approach to costing and pricing, including direct and indirect costs, breakeven and common pricing strategies.
- The link between governance and financial management for mission-driven organisations
- The core financial documents: budget, profit and loss, cashflow and balance sheet
- Day-to-day record keeping, reconciliation and chasing invoices
- How to build a simple budget and compare budget vs actuals
- What working capital, reserves and deferred income can tell you
- Costing your offer (direct and indirect costs) and finding breakeven
- Pricing options, from cost-plus to other common strategies
- Feel clearer on what to track week to week, month to month and year to year
- Make better decisions using a simple budget, updated with actuals
- Explain the difference between profit and cashflow (and why both matter)
- Put straightforward financial controls in place to reduce risk
- Understand what your balance sheet is telling you about stability and resilience
- Set prices based on your real costs and the outcome you want to achieve
- Interactive – ask questions and take part in discussions.
- Get the concepts – our expert trainer presents key theory and examples.
- Practical – practice the skills as you learn them within the workshop.
This workshop takes place on Zoom.
The following resources will be shared with you after the workshop:
- A copy of the session slides (where available)
- Links mentioned in the session, including Charity Commission guidance (CC16), SORP guidance (CC17), and the CIC report (CIC34)
- Signposting to organisations and tools discussed, such as NCVO and Small Charity Support
- Example templates
- Break-even analysis
- Budget and cash flow
- Budget sheet
- Business expense budget
- Cash flow projection
- Checklist internal financial control
- Salaries and costing
- Monthly finance tasks checklist
- Financial control policy
- Simple costs sheet
- Financial procedures
This workshop runs from 09:30am – 12:30pm on Zoom.
For social entrepreneurs and people working in charities, community organisations and social enterprises who want a stronger grip on the numbers. It’s particularly useful if you’re responsible for budgets, reporting, or setting prices, and you want a practical refresher on the essentials—without jargon.
About the trainer
Louise Treacher works with charities, social enterprises and community organisations to become more resilient, financially sustainable and operationally robust. With over 30 years’ experience in operational management, organisational change and financial oversight, she supports organisations through training, facilitation, governance support and financial management guidance.
Louise specialises in diversifying and stabilising income (including earned income and enterprise activities), strengthening governance and financial controls, and improving budgeting and reporting—helping leaders turn strategy into sustainable action.
Impact skills for anyone
Our workshops are designed for people looking to create impact, but anyone, anywhere can join.
15% off for Early Birds
A limited number of Early Bird tickets are available at a discount of 15% off.
Expert-led course
Louise Treacher specialises in helping organisations to become financially sustainable and operationally robust.
Essential skills in a few hours
Strengthen yourself and your projects in half a day. Take part in discussions and exercises. Come away with practical actions.
Feedback about SSE workshops
87 %
of people score 8/10 or above for quality of facilitation
84 %
of people score 7/10 or above for usefulness
758
Workshop places booked in 2025
FAQ
If you have any questions that are not answered here, please feel free to contact us.
Yes, we can offer any of our workshops or completely bespoke training on request. Please contact us to discuss the options.
You are very welcome to book for multiple people but each individual joining the workshop must be booked on to join, even if sharing a computer. You can select your number of tickets when you make your booking.
If you are booking for 3 or more people, feel free to contact us to enquire about a group discount.
Cancellations or booking changes can be made up until 7 days before the workshop. You may change the name of the person attending at any time but only one person can join the course per booking.
If you wish to make a change or cancellation please contact us and state the name of the workshop and email address used to make the booking.
This workshop takes place online via Zoom. Once you have booked your place you will receive joining instructions in your confirmation email and in reminders closer to the time of the workshop.
All currently available dates are listed in the Book now section. We run most of our workshops repeatedly throughout the year, so if you cannot see further dates, they may not have yet been scheduled. Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page to be kept up to date.
We do not record all our workshops as they are interactive workshops and watching back a recording does not provide the value of taking part live. It also allows people to speak more freely when taking part in discussions within the workshop.
Please see our section on Prices.
At the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), we back people with purpose. With practical learning that makes sense in the real world. With funding that grows as you grow. With mentors, peers and people who’ve been there and done it. We don’t care where you started. We care about where you’re going and the difference you want to make in your life, in your community, and in the world.
Find out more about SSE here.
You can see the times under the dates in the Book Now section. All the workshops are on London, UK time.
If you have a question that is not answered on this page, please feel free to contact us.
Prices
Select a date in the Book Now section to see prices. Please note:
- The price is based on your organisation’s total annual income, regardless of profit.
- Our pricing is designed to be as accessible as possible for people wanting to create impact at any scale.
- The prices you can see are already heavily discounted, particularly for smaller organisations.
- There are no additional discounts for not-for-profits or government organisations.
Early bird tickets
A limited number of Early Bird tickets are available at a discount of 15% off.
Group bookings
If you would like to make a booking for 3 or more places please contact us to get a price for a group discount.
Bespoke training and support
We have a range of options for delivering impactful training to your organisation or organisations you support. Get in touch to find out more.
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