The Risk Leadership Programme
An inspiring cohort-based learning programme for charity staff and trustees.
Managing risk in charities isn’t just about avoiding threats and filling out reports. It’s about safeguarding people, stewarding funds, protecting data, navigating donor demands, and still having the courage to innovate and take bold decisions. More than anything else, managing risk in charities is about how culture, incentives and decision-making shape risk thinking and decision-making.
Risk Cohorts
The Charity Finance Group (CFG) and The Risk Collaborative are partnering to launch a 5-month + 1 cohort-based learning programme to help charity leaders identify, assess, and manage risk in the real world.
Each cohort meets once a month for 2 hours over 5 months (June to November, taking a well-deserved break in August) + 1 follow-up session in February 2027 to help keep the momentum going. We are keeping each cohort to no more than 25 participants to keep sessions practical and interactive.
Cohort A – Staff
For: CEOs, directors, senior managers, heads of function, and programme and grants leads.
Focus: Making risk a practical, everyday tool rather than a compliance chore.
Cohort B – Trustees
For: Charity trustees, board and committee chairs, and non-executive directors.
Focus: What good risk oversight looks like in board papers, discussions, and decisions.
Learning Outcomes
Attendees will explore the history and context of risk management within the charity/nonprofit environment, improve their understanding and awareness of organisational risk culture, critique common risk approaches, and develop a balanced risk approach that balances avoiding harm and realising opportunities. During the programme, the Staff Track and the Trustee Track will work together and independently, allowing for deeper exploration of topics in safe spaces and collaboration opportunities.
Specifically, participants will:
Develop a clear language for discussing risk with colleagues, trustees, funders, and partners
Develop templates to use in your own board and SMT meetings
Develop personal plans to strengthen risk oversight without adding bureaucracy
Programme Content (flexible based on cohort interest)
Risk/governance in the real world: What’s special about risk in the third sector, and why risk is a fundamental element of strategy. Who ‘owns’ risk, and what does that look like in practice?
Policy, processes, systems, and tools that support strong decisions: Using different tools to bring clarity to dynamic operating environments. Exploration of Risk Plus/Objective Centred Risk Management to help integrate risk into daily ways of working.
Risk and Compliance: Protecting funds, people, information, and reputation without paralysing programmes. Spotting red flags and asking the right questions.
Creativity and growth: Making data an asset, not a liability. What “good” risk oversight looks like and introduces decision-making thinking.
Risk sharing: Moving from a static tick-box exercise and automatic agreement with all funder conditions to a dynamic and proportional risk partnership with funders.
Organisational culture: See how organisational culture shapes and influences every risk decision, whether you are aware of it or not.
Participants will leave with:
Practical tools and templates you can lift straight into your organisation, including question banks that can be used to prompt risk thinking.
Clearer language for talking about risk with your board, funders, and partners.
A 6 - 12 month personal action plan to strengthen risk oversight in the year ahead without adding bureaucracy or complexity.
Access to an ongoing ‘Risk Leadership Programme’ alumni community to continue the learning and support.
How it works
Format: Monthly live, facilitated online workshops (2 hours each x 6 months); 12 – 2pm UK time
Duration: 5 months (June to November, no sessions in August) + 1 cohort follow-up in February 2027 to help keep the momentum going. Session dates are: 17 June, 15 July, 16 September, 21 October, 18 November + February 2027 follow-up session (date TBD).
Cohort size: Max. 25 participants per cohort
Between sessions:
Small “risk pods” for peer support
Light touch engagement and monthly challenge opportunities to apply learning
Additional bespoke support as identified throughout the programme.
Fees
Trustee/Staff: Early Bird rate: £1200 for a trustee/staff pair (CFG member organisations); £1300 for a trustee/staff pair (non-CFG member organisations).
This is the preferred registration category, as the greatest benefit will be delivered to organisations if a staff member and a trustee participate together.
Individuals: £750 for CFG members; £900 for non-CFG members
Sponsorship may be available for organisations with limited resources. For group bookings, please contact us to discuss.