The number of women in finance director roles in the top 100 charities has increased to 24, Charity Finance magazine’s Finance Directors Survey 2016 has revealed.

The survey, published in April’s Charity Finance magazine, has revealed that there are now women finance directors in 24 of the top 100 charities, based on the Charity Finance Charity 100 Index.

Ten years ago 25 women were in FD roles, but in the years that followed this number fell, reaching a low point of 18 in 2012. The 2014 survey saw an end to this decline, with 20 FD roles held by women, and this number has now jumped again to 24.

The survey profiles the finance director at the 100 charities, and asks them a number of questions including how their role has changed and the biggest issues that they are currently facing.

It revealed that while the average age of a finance director in a top-100 charity has increased to 50 years and 11 months, many of the younger FDs are women.

Of those FDs that disclosed their ages, six are 40 or under, and of this six, five are women. Furthermore, of the 22 FDs aged 47 and under, 12 are women.

At age 36, the youngest FD to feature in the survey is Catherine Voak (pictured), the newly-appointed FD of Scope.

The survey also revealed that the issues that are of most concern to FDs include an increased negative public perception of big charities, and hostility around the sector.

Some FDs also noted that the changes to fundraising regulation are likely to impact on how they do their jobs. 

The full survey is available to online subscribers here. For more information on subscribing to Charity Finance magazine click here.