Charity Finance Group trustee Uday Thakkar resigned from the board last month, citing “serious concerns” with the organisation’s management and governance.
Thakkar, who is managing director of social enterprise consultancy Red Ochre, emailed his letter of resignation to chair Ian Theodoreson at the end of June.
He is the third person with a long standing connection to the umbrella body to have left in recent months. Special adviser John Tate severed ties with CFG last October after a 20-year association, expressing similar concerns to Thakkar.
Gill Gibb, a former trustee who had agreed to stay on the board as a special adviser after her two terms had expired, stepped down the same week in protest at Tate’s treatment by the chair.
Thakkar declined to release his resignation letter to Civil Society News but said his reasons for stepping down are that: “I perceive continuing weakness in management and communications from the management team and I have had serious concerns about the governance of CFG.
“I basically stayed on this long in the hope of being able to effect some positive change but I don’t think what I’ve done has had any effect or consequence and as some of the other trustees don’t seem to be as negative about it as I do, I have decided the best thing for me to do is to step down and they can go forward.”
Thakkar had been a CFG trustee for three years but had had connections to the organisation for about 15 years in an advisory or consultancy capacity.
He told Civil Society News he joined the board because “I really thought I could do something to help small charities” but found that every initiative he suggested was rejected or frustrated by the executive.
“I’ve had a good working relationship over many years, when Shirley (Scott) and then Keith (Hickey) were in charge,” he said.
“I get asked to sit on boards on an almost daily basis and some of these organisations actually go out and save lives and do great things. I was sitting at a CFG strategy awayday where nothing was resolved, thinking ‘what is this all about?’ I really thought I could help small charities but I’m more disengaged than before.
“You can be on the board but you’re not allowed to ask questions,” he said.
In response, CFG chair Ian Theodoreson said: “Our board has every confidence in the executive, one which is achieving stunning results and which openly participates in a healthy exchange of views with board members. We are moving forward together with a shared understanding of the future.
“The organisation has over the last year grown its membership, had an extremely strong financial performance, and has been successful in recruiting an exciting and talented staff team. All of those factors point to an organisation that is thriving and growing in confidence. We believe our results will speak for themselves and look forward to publishing our report and accounts in September, once they have been audited.”
Disclosure: John Tate is an unpaid non-executive director and chair of Civil Society Media Ltd, the publisher of Civil Society News.
