Auckland

“Great Expectations”: charity reporting and their accountability to funders The charitable sector is reliant on government and philanthropic funding (Tucker & Basil, 2013). From 2007 onwards, the financial crisis has had a significant impact on charities, with many experiencing severe financial difficulties (Salamon, Geller, & Spence, 2009). Although the current environment is no longer in an economic downturn, the lack of funds available is still of concern in the charitable sector. As a major funder governments have had to trim their budgets and reduce the supply of funding, and some funding that had been promised to charities has not been delivered (Kerlin & Pollack, 2011). A survey concludes that nonprofit organizations (including charities) in Australasia are competing for a limited pool of funds, and some may not survive for more than six months if their current funding is not renewed (Grant Thornton, 2014). The limited amount of funding available means charities must compete with each other in getting more resources (Francisco & Alves, 2012). Such competition has led many charities to be more accountable as to their use of funds. The purpose of accountability is “to provide mechanisms through which all those affected by an organization's actions can demand an account from the managers of that organizatio