City Hive Releases Toolkit for Charity Asset Oversight

“Values are often prominent in an organisation’s public messaging, but trustees need to understand how those commitments are reflected in the way investment partners operate,” says David Coombs of Rathbones Asset Management, as City Hive introduces a new framework to audit the cultural conduct of investment firms.

WildWeb24·September 24, 2026·reads: 3,031

City Hive Releases Toolkit for Charity Asset Oversight

The ACT Toolkit for Charity Trustees provides a structured method for boards to evaluate whether their asset managers align with their charity’s long-term purpose and ethical standards. Derived from the ACT Framework—originally designed for the investment industry—the system offers a repeatable process for identifying governance and reputational risks that financial performance metrics alone often fail to capture.

Bev Shah, co-CEO of City Hive, emphasizes that an asset management firm's internal culture dictates how decisions are made, how risks are challenged, and how firms respond when problems arise. This launch arrives alongside updated regulatory expectations, including the 2025 Charity Governance Code and the 2026 UK Stewardship Code, which place higher requirements on board effectiveness and the oversight of investment partners. By integrating these disclosures, the toolkit aims to help investment committees move beyond basic performance reviews toward a more comprehensive, values-driven audit of their financial counterparts.