It’s interesting how, when a group of charities get together, the conversation often turns to problems with banks. This has happened to us twice very recently, and a new report by the Civil Society Group suggest that you are not alone, and that:
- Services that charities need are increasingly unavailable
- Services that are available are not suited to the way that charities operate
- Charities often encounter poor customer service
- Online banking is not designed for or accessible to charities
You can download the report at https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/banking-services-failing-to-meet-charities-needs-report-reveals.html, and it certainly echoes the experiences of organisations we talk to.
One other problem that people tell us about, is that some banks are reluctant to support organisations where there are (legitimate) transfers to certain countries deemed to offer too high a risk. We know of situations where charities bank accounts have been closed with little or no notice, for such reasons.
If your bank has been particularly helpful, please do spread the work to help others.