The Beam Foundation is a registered charity that has partnered with Beam to maximise its social impact. In the words of its charitable objects:
The Beam Foundation aims to promote the education of people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, and people with a criminal record by providing assistance in the form of crowdfunded vocational training and support in finding employment once training has been completed.
Beam acts as an "intermediary", akin to JustGiving raising funds and also providing a range of other services including casework to The Beam Foundation's beneficiaries. All online and offline donations are remitted to The Beam Foundation's bank account, which is segregated from Beam's financial activities that take place through a different bank and ban accounts. The Beam Foundation is chaired by Dean Nash who, along with his fellow trustees, determines the constitution of the trustee board.
By using Beam as an intermediary, The Beam Foundation has been able to outsource the significant costs of delivering services otherwise borne by charities traditionally providing services to their beneficiary groups. This allows The Beam Foundation to give donors a 100% giving model, whereby every penny they donate (excluding Gift Aid) is used to remove financial barriers for its beneficiaries and 0% of donations is spent on salaries, marketing or other operational expenses. On top of their donation to beneficiaries, donors may leave an optional "tip" to cover casework costs borne by Beam. These tips cover under 10% of the costs borne by Beam, with the shortfall covered by Beam through undertaking contracted work with government and its own financing activities, including funding from impact investors. You can find more about how The Beam Foundation and Beam work here.
Please note this role is approximately 5 days' work a year, but the requirements will dictate the time. The role is voluntary and uncompensated; however reasonable expenses incurred as part of your trustee duties may be covered by The Beam Foundation.
Responsibilities
- Attend 4 trustee board meetings a year that are 90-120 minutes in length
- Actively engage in The Beam Foundation's work and respond in a timely fashion to operational issues in between quarterly board meetings
- Comply with statutory accounting and reporting requirements
- Comply with charity law requirements and other laws that apply to The Beam Foundation, including the Charities Act 1993 as amended by the Charities Act 2006 and all legislation relevant to The Beam Foundation's work and activities
- Act in the The Beam Foundation's best interests
- Ensure The Beam Foundation is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
- Understand and ensure The Beam Foundation complies with its governing document
- Take reasonable steps to find out about legal requirements, for example by reading relevant guidance or taking appropriate advice when you need to
- Preserve and enhance the reputation of The Beam Foundation
Requirements
- Qualified accountant or else strongly financially literate
- Exceptionally reliable with a track record of meeting important deadlines, such as filing end of year accounts
- Strong track record of careful governance and risk management through their career in business or non-profits
- Strong awareness of compliance with a trustee's fiduciary duties
- Passionate ambassador for The Beam Foundation
Desirable
- Charity accounting experience
- Track record of raising significant philanthropic capital and desire to galvanise their own networks to benefit The Beam Foundation and its beneficiaries
We're especially excited to hear from BAME candidates and/or those with lived experience of social disadvantage.