The COFRA AwardBest Beginnings won the runner up prize at the 2013 ICAEW Charities Online Financial Reporting and Accounts Awards.

The awards celebrate the success of charities that have demonstrated excellence and innovation in online financial reporting. Best Beginnings' 2011-12 Accounts and Trustees' report can be seen here.

Our Operations Manager Lee Hall and I were very grateful to pick up the award with Jinne Stiksma from OpenUmbrella, who created the online accounts with Best Beginnings on a pro bono basis.

We are once again very grateful to OpenUmbrella for their excellent and innovative work. It's great for Best Beginnings to be recognised with this award as a lot of hard work went into these accounts from both OpenUmbrella and our staff.

The awards are structured into 5 different categories based on charitable income. Best Beginnings won second place in the 'Income between £250k and £1m' category.

The award ceremony took place on Monday 24 June at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales in the City of London.

Best Beginnings won the ICAEW Charities Online Financial Reporting and Accounts Awards in 2012 and 2008 -- the first time a charity has won this award for their inaugural set of accounts. Best Beginnings was also shortlisted for the award in 2011.

The awards aim to:

  • increase transparency by rewarding best practice in financial reporting
  • raise the standard of web-based financial reporting for greater impact and accessibility
  • encourage more charities to do their financial reporting online