Gerald Bates

I am a leader within BDO's International Institutions and Donor Assurance (IIDA) team, which specialises in the delivery of assurance and consulting services to a wide range of international donors; helping them gain comfort as to how their funds are being and will be managed by their grantees, whilst also promoting the effective delivery of donor-funded programs.

Specifically, I founded and head-up IIDA's offering for grant-giving trusts and charitable foundations, be they attached to high net worth individual(s); a parent corporation; or established under a historic endowment. This includes work for some of the world's largest and most reputable foundations where my team's work helps to protect these donors - no matter where they may be based - from the financial, compliance, programmatic and, ultimately, reputational risks associated with the mismanagement of funds by their global partners. 

I am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. I been involved in the delivery of over 2,000 assignments for global donors and have personally performed work in more than 40 countries. My commitment to the development sector is demonstrated through a post-graduate qualification in International Development from the London School of Economics, where I received a special commendation for achieving the highest mark amongst my global cohort, as well through my role as a Trustee for an International NGO. I have been invited to contribute to sector initiatives, notably the world's first harmonised standard for assessing the financial capacities of prospective grantees and sitting on a global, grant award panel on behalf of the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

I am driven by the desire to make the most of the daily opportunities that my work affords me in helping grantors and grantees succeed through the application of effective systems of control relating to the management of donor-funded projects. My work, in turn, helps to underpin the trust that is necessary to enable the global flow of development and humanitarian relief funds, whilst also promoting the effective management of these funds to deliver optimum results for end-user beneficiaries.