The Regulator for Charities in England and Wales
At the November 2007 SORP Committee meeting it was agreed to begin a SORP research programme to learn from stakeholders as to how the next SORP could better reflect their needs in reporting and accounting. The Accounting Standards Board (ASB), which oversees the development of SORPs, considers that the defining class of user for charity reports and accounts to be funders and financial supporters and that by meeting their needs, the needs of all other stakeholders are met. The SORP research programme seeks to take account of the views of funders and financial supporters and also to learn from other stakeholders including: charities preparing reports and accounts, analysts and media, auditors and accounting professionals, the public and charity beneficiaries.
In their letter to the ASB of 8 January 2008 the SORP Committee Chair, Andrew Hind, and Deputy Chair, Kirsty Gray, said: "The Committee's view is that in laying the foundations for the development of the next Charities SORP, important research work is needed to gauge the views of key stakeholders on charity accounts and reporting and to identify the key accounting and reporting issues which need to be addressed if the high level of public confidence in charities is to be maintained".
The SORP Committee held a Stakeholders' Forum on 25 April 2008 to begin its research programme as preparation for developing the next SORP. The forum was an opportunity to set out key issues for debate and hear initial sector news.
The presentations for the forum were:
The main aim of the initial Stakeholders’ Forum event was to share with an invited audience the SORP Committee’s thinking and the main challenges facing charity reporting and accounting. Delegates were asked for initial feedback and some 153 suggestions were made. The second stage of the research phase involves holding a series of stakeholder roundtables between September 2008 and June 2009 to deepen the debate.
Delegates to the roundtables were asked to prepare in advance to get the most out of the event and look at the stakeholder roundtable delegate pack .
To hear views from both funders and financial supporters, and preparers and their professional advisers (auditors and external examiners) a series of 28 roundtables was set up nationwide which ran from September 2008 until June 2009.
SORP roundtable geographical splits:
Northern Ireland 1
Wales 3
Scotland 6
England (London) 9
England (non-London) 9
SORP roundtable split by stakeholder group:
All stakeholders 1
Small charities 6
Large charities 16
Funders 4
Academics 1
The roundtable events for funders an financial supporters were supplemented by structured interviews with interested funders to obtain additional views.
The research evidence containing transcripts or notes of the roundtable events, written comments, the completed questionnaires, interview summaries and e-mails (see below) has been made available for independent academic review by Professor Noel Hyndman and a team at Queen's University, Belfast. The findings of the Queen's University are due for publication by the close of 2009.
Due to limitations on available places and to ensure a full opportunity for feedback, interested stakeholders who were unable to attend a roundtable event could take advantage of the e-mail suggestions box so that their comments could be considered. The close for e-mail comments was 31 May 2009.