ABSTRACT
This chapter examines various headings of accountability. The crucial issue arises largely where statutory funds are concerned, and it is how to strike a balance between the need for accountability and the need to respect the role of the voluntary organisation that is accountable. Where the level of grant for general purposes becomes a high percentage of the organisation's income there are other dangers, not only because of the organisation's vulnerability on grant reduction or withdrawal but because of potential threats from the accountability lobbies of left or right of the political spectrum. Processes of accountability for use of grants may reasonably be required of voluntary organisations, and of course government has a right to expect them to behave in responsible ways, but in return these organisations must be able to trust the departments responsible to maintain the grants for the period agreed, unless very serious breaches of faith have occurred.
