Abacus Project
The Abacus Project: A New Chapter in Supporting Charity Finance
From July 2024 to July 2025, the Abacus Project has been connecting charities across West Yorkshire with volunteers who bring much-needed financial skills into the sector.
Funding for this stage of the project ends in July but we’re continuing to seek additional funding to keep the work going. In the meantime, we are sharing some of the tools and resources we have developed, as part of the legacy of the project.
For Third sector groups
Many small VCSE organisations struggle to stay on top of financial tasks like record-keeping, budgeting, or reporting. The Abacus Project matched charities with skilled volunteers who helped lighten the load, and you can still benefit from this approach.
If you are looking for a finance volunteer, our guides and templates can help you:
- Find local volunteers with finance knowledge
- Access helpful templates and training videos
- Get help to set up simple financial systems like the WYCAS cashbook
For Individuals
Are you studying bookkeeping or AAT? Returning to work after a break? Want to build real-world finance experience while helping a good cause?
The Abacus self-serve guide will help you:
- Develop your skills and knowledge on third sector finance
- Use structured templates and training materials
- Build your confidence in applying finance knowledge
Continue the Legacy
While WYCAS is no longer matching placements directly, we’ve created two free resource packs:
- A volunteer guide for individuals wanting to help charities with finance
- A host charity guide for organisations wanting to recruit and support a volunteer
Volunteers – Complete our form to download our self-serve resources HERE
Host Charities – Complete out form to download our self-serve resources HERE
Contact us if you’d like to stay connected!
The WYCAS Abacus Project FAQ (Legacy Phase)
The Abacus Project was a WYCAS (West Yorkshire Community Accountancy Service) initiative that connected people with finance skills to charities needing help with financial management.
Participants gained practical experience, while charities received support with tasks like bookkeeping, budgeting, and financial reporting.
Yes, we’ve created two self-serve legacy guides – one for participants and one for charities, to help you carry on this work independently.
You can use these resources to offer or request financial volunteering support. Your local volunteer bureau can help you find a match.
Participants were individuals with finance skills or training (e.g., AAT students or career returners) looking for experience. Many were facing barriers to employment and used the placement to build confidence, skills, and networks.
Support varied by charity need but often included:
- Setting up or improving a cashbook
- Organising receipts and records
- Tracking income and spending
- Transitioning to systems like the WYCAS cashbook
Yes, but placements are no longer arranged by WYCAS. Instead, we encourage groups to find volunteers using local volunteer bureaus. The legacy guide will help with understanding and initiating your placement, which includes templates, checklists, and advice.
Applicants need to either have experience in finance work or have studied / be studying for a formal qualification such as AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians).
The project is designed to provide some training in order to help participants to apply their skills in a charity context.
The support will supplement this, providing an environment where participants can build or refresh their financial management skills.
This makes it an excellent opportunity for individuals who may be looking to expand their knowledge, transition into charity finance, or gain practical experience to improve their career prospects.
WYCAS is no longer directly supporting placements. However, our training videos, cashbook templates, and support tools remain freely available. See the WYCAS website for details.
No formal qualifications are required, but participants should have some finance knowledge or experience, along with an interest in volunteering. This might come from work, study, or running a business. Our legacy resources help participants feel confident volunteering in the charity sector.
That’s now up to the charity and volunteer to decide. Our original project encouraged in-person work, but remote support is possible where suitable.
If you’re arranging your own placement using the legacy resources, communication is key. Our sample agreements and guidance help both sides clarify expectations from the start.
Participants and charities can access:
- Training videos (Excel Cashbook, Charity Finance)
- Finance templates and crib sheets
- Powerpoints on using QBO, Salaries recording and Reports
- Sample emails and placement checklists
- Volunteer learning log and sample tasks list
Not for future placements. The legacy programme is self-serve. Participants and charities can arrange their own feedback or reference if needed.
Potentially there is a chance of this. Some past participants used their experience to support job applications, especially in the charity and finance sectors.