Ben Dowdeswell,
Virtual Finance Director

Ben Dowdeswell Third FD - Virtual Finance Director

Insight-led financial strategy, planning and support for charities and the third sector 

How Third FD can help your charity

Financial Leadership

  • Insight and forecasting to give you and your trustees confidence in financial decision making.

  • A financial strategy and plan to help secure long-term financial stability.

  • We’ll present bespoke Management Information reports to any of your stakeholders.

Financial Control

  • Lead annual audits, liaising with accountants and other 3rd parties to ensure a smooth, successful process.

  • Establish clear procedures for budgeting, expenditure approval, financial reporting, and compliance.

  • Implement organisational policies to establish controls and compliance with the Charity Commission.

CEO Support

  • Relieving the financial workload of the CEO and the exec team, enabling them to free up time to work on core operations.

  • Supporting with complex financial decisions, both planned and reactive.

  • Reporting to the board of trustees, fielding questions and engaging in discussions.

  • Supporting short and long-term strategic planning across the organisation.

Client testimonials

  • "Ben has taken a significant burden off my shoulders, freeing up my time to focus on other areas of our operations."

    Rachel Roberts, CEO, Homeopathic Research Institute

  • "Although Ben is a consultant it feels like he is an integral part of the team. I can not recommend him highly enough."

    Alice Barnard, CEO, Edge Foundation

  • "Ben has reviewed and updated processes within the finance department, automating ways of working to help us streamline our practices."

    Liz Eagling-Vose, COO, Avaxzipen

  • "Having Ben come on board and shine the spotlight on our company finances has been a godsend."

    Tristan Johnson, Director and Co-owner, McKenzie & Co Financial Consultants

  • "Ben has been a source of great help for FORT as he built our initial forecasts, helped us to make sound financial decisions and provided both short and long-term insights."

    Tim Gelardi, FORT Merchanting

  • "I would recommend Third FD and am certainly grateful to have their support and financial insight."

    Alex Monk, Chief Executive Officer, Black Bull Capital Limited

  • "Working with Ben has transformed the way we approach our financial decisions... I truly can't rate him highly enough."

    Holly Frizzell, Managing Director, Frizzell Wealth Management

More about our clients

About Third FD

Ben Dowdeswell - Virtual Finance Director

Recognising the unique financial and operational challenges faced by charities, Ben Dowdeswell (ACMA, CGMA) founded Third FD to help support and empower CEOs and Trustees of small and medium-sized charities with the financial acumen and strategic guidance needed to thrive in an increasingly demanding environment.  

With extensive experience as a Finance Director with a hand in Operations, Ben offers bespoke, accessible and cost-effective solutions. He plays a crucial role in helping charities maintain their financial stability, transparency and accountability, while achieving their shorter and longer-term goals, and supporting on essential day-to-day financial matters.  

Get in touch

We’d be delighted to discuss with you how we can help your charity or third sector organisation thrive. 

Please fill in our contact form to receive a quick response to your query, or email ben@thirdfd.com

Alternatively, you can call Ben on 07767 706216 during office hours (9-5pm). 

You can also message Ben on LinkedIn