DSC’s digital publications: leadership and finance

Wherever you or your team are working, we’ve got the information and support you need to make a difference.

Whether you’re working from home, focusing on learning and development while you’ve suspended certain activities, or are just starting to plan for what happens next, you can get the help you need pretty much instantly.

You can see a full list of all our digital titles at the bottom of this page, but here are some of our most in demand leadership, governance and finance titles at the moment…

Leadership

It’s Tough at the Top: The no-fibbing guide to leadership

Debra Allcock Tyler

A practical, no-nonsense guide to upper-level management from DSC Chief Executive, Debra Allcock-Tyler.

Drawing upon her experiences as a manager, development consultant and chief executive, Debra gets to the heart of what matters in senior management, combining leadership theory and models with personal anecdotes and real-life situations.

No sugar-coating, no soft soap, she just tells it as it is.

The Pleasure and the Pain

Debra Allcock Tyler

This informative but irreverent book by Debra Allcock-Tyler offers you the key skills for working as part of a team, tackling prejudices (including your own) and how to make your working life run more smoothly. You’ll learn how to identify what makes people tick, and how to play to their strengths to get the job done. You’ll turn the sometimes painful process of working with people into a real pleasure!

Management

Income to Impact

Adrian Poffley

In this pioneering and challenging guide, Adrian Poffley asks whether you are most efficiently transforming your charity’s income into the most impact.

Are you making each penny you earn create the biggest possible impact?

‘This book is a necessary read for anybody who is trying to make their organization relevant, efficient and responsive to its client’s needs.’

John Wilton, former Chief Financial Officer, The World Bank

It’s Murder in Management

Debra Allcock Tyler

There will be days when you feel like murdering your bosses, your team or your colleagues! Through a combination of leadership theory, models with personal anecdotes as well as real-life situations, Debra Allcock Tyler illustrates how management can be both fun and fulfilling. Working with and learning from others

‘In this book Debra’s wise insights are made available to all – you can hear her voice in every sentence and, best of all, she gives really good advice without ever shirking the difficult realities of being a manager. There is so much in here that you can apply to your daily practice with real benefit.’

Jane Ide, Chief Executive, NAVCA

A Practical Guide to Managing in a Downturn: Staying Solvent and Surviving Well

Kate Sayer

In a rough economic climate every charity is vulnerable. How can you protect your organisation from going under?

It is written by some of the top financial minds in the charity sector. Armed with their advice and clear explanations you’ll be better prepared to steer through and survive any downturn.

Finance and governance

If you’re running remote board meetings, need guidance on how to approach your current financial situation from a governance perspective, or just looking to understand some of the wider financial implications of the current situation for you organisations, check out these titles:

Key Guides: The Board Secretary’s Handbook

Kirsty Semple

A must-read for anyone in a position of responsibility as a board secretary, or equivalent. Valuable reading for trustees and CEOs – in fact, anyone who is on or who reports to the board. Reading this will be of benefit to any voluntary sector staff who want to know what practical good governance looks like.

‘A practical, reliable and engaging guide for everyone in the role of secretary to boards of charities or voluntary sector bodies. Read this book and you, like its author, may fall in love with this great role and these wonderful organisations!’

Cecile Gillard, Legal Manager, Charities, Burton Sweet and Company Secretarial Manager, Bates Wells Braithwaite

Key Guides: Charitable Incorporated Organisations

Gareth G Morgan

A must-read for anyone considering establishing a new charity in England, Wales or Scotland to ensure they’re using the structure most suitable for their needs.

Leaders of existing charities and not-for-profits, particularly finance managers, will find it a useful guide to whether a CIO would be a better alternative than their current set up.

‘A vital tool for any charity contemplating whether charitable incorporated organisation status is appropriate for them. We found ourselves in that situation – for the non-lawyers amongst us it was an essential reference manual, and has been ever since.’

Mike Daw, Chief Executive, National Eye Research Centre

Key Guides: The Charity Treasurer’s Handbook

Gareth G Morgan

With plenty of helpful examples, this guide is suitable for voluntary sector workers with little or no accounting experience, those from other sectors seeking an update on charity accounting and students on third sector courses.

It is also a vital guide for trustees and charity managers, to understand their own role, the role of the staff they oversee, and their relationship with the external auditor or independent examiner.

‘A useful and very comprehensive introduction to charity accounting from day-to-day book-keeping to preparing the Annual Report.’

Denise Fellows, Chief Executive, Honorary Treasurers Forum

The Complete Charity VAT Handbook

Alistair Hardman and Kate Sayer

This guide is required reading for charity finance managers, accountants, book-keepers, and anyone else who deals with charity finances on a daily basis. Its advice and information will benefit all not-for-profit organisations, including schools and social enterprises.

‘Charity VAT can be a minefield. This comprehensive guide helps navigate through that complexity and will be a very useful addition to any charity professional’s bookshelf.’

Richard Bray, Finance, Regulatory & Taxes Manager, Cancer Research UK

Full list of DSC’s digital publications

Fundraising

Capital Campaigns

Community Fundraising

Corporate Fundraising and Partnerships

DIY Guide to Powerful Publicity

How to Love Your Donors (To Death)

Key Guides: Effective Fundraising

Legacy and In-memory Fundraising

Major Donor Fundraising

Marketing Strategy: For Effective Fundraising