Response to CFG’s Charity Banking Report 2026
Punam McGookin, Head of Charity Services at the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, has welcomed the publication of Charity Finance Group (CFG)'s Charity Banking Report 2026.
The report updates and expands on previous CFG research, tracking how charity banking experiences have changed since surveys in 2022 and 2024. This year’s survey, which was open from 6 February to 30 April, received 95 responses from organisations in Northern Ireland, including 14 that also operate in the Republic of Ireland
Available in the sidebar, the report noted: “The most commonly reported challenges among organisations in Northern Ireland reflect similar trends seen across the rest of the UK. The most significant issue was being charged for a bank account, affecting around 51 per cent of respondents. A third of respondents (36%) also cited charges for depositing cash or cheques as an issue.
Other key challenges included the following.
- Difficulties with adding or removing signatories (47%).
- Requirements for charity trustees to attend in person for verification - a major challenge according to around 29 per cent of respondents.
- Maintaining or setting up their bank account was very stressful, according to almost one-third of respondents
Highlighting the valuable insight the report provides into the experiences of charities, Punam said: "Charities provide vital services and support to people and communities across Northern Ireland, often in challenging circumstances, and it is important they have access to banking services that meet their needs.
"CFG's report shines a light on the real-world banking experiences of charities and the impact these challenges can have on charity trustees, volunteers and the delivery of charitable services.
"We welcome the evidence and recommendations contained in the report and look forward to continuing to work with partners across the sector to continue pushing for improved outcomes."