Most small organisations have their own version of what I’ve come to think of as ‘the sandwich question.’
It usually sounds something like:
“Can we order lunch for the volunteers?”
“Can we spend £75 on sandwiches for the upcoming event?”
“How much can we spend?”
“Does this need approval?”
It’s rarely dramatic. No one is proposing a building extension or a new software system. We are, quite literally, talking about sandwiches.
And on one level, it’s reassuring. It shows care. It shows caution. It shows that people don’t take spending lightly; which, in the charity and community sector, is a strength.
But sometimes the sandwich question is about more than catering.
How it starts
Most small charities begin lean and careful.
A small team.
A small budget.
A deep sense of responsibility.
In the early days, centralised control makes perfect sense. One or two people oversee spending. Approvals are quick. Visibility is high. Financial risk feels personal.
And that works.
The difficulty is that organisations grow; and approval habits quietly stay the same. What worked when three people were around one table can start to feel heavy when there are ten staff, multiple projects and a fuller calendar. Yet the same questions continue to travel upwards.
When leadership becomes the approval hub
Over time, something subtle can happen.
Senior leaders; often out of care and habit, become the default sign-off point for increasingly small decisions.
Emails circulate.
Managers pause.
Plans wait.
No one intends to create a bottleneck. The instinct is usually protective:
“We need to be careful.”
“We can’t overspend.”
“We must demonstrate control.”
All entirely reasonable.
But if senior leadership is regularly approving modest catering orders, it may be worth asking whether your delegation framework has kept pace with your organisation’s reality.
Because while sandwiches may be small, the time spent discussing them isn’t.
Centralised or decentralised? Both have a place.
In very small organisations, centralised spending control often makes sense.
When budgets are tight and systems are still forming, having senior leaders close to every decision can provide:
- Visibility
- Consistency
- Reassurance
It can feel safer. And sometimes, it is.
But as organisations grow, the same structure can begin to create friction.
If every modest purchase requires senior sign-off, leaders become the approval hub. Decisions slow. Staff confidence can dip. Energy gets absorbed by detail rather than direction.
That’s when decentralisation; within clear limits, becomes helpful.
Clear spending thresholds.
Defined delegated authority.
Shared understanding of boundaries.
Not ‘anything goes.’
But not ‘everything comes up’ either.
The question isn’t which model is better. It’s whether your current model matches your current stage.
A gentle leadership pause
If the sandwich question appears often in your organisation, it might be helpful to reflect:
- Are delegated authority levels written down and understood?
- Do managers know their spending limits?
- Are approvals happening because of risk or because of tradition?
- Is senior leadership time being used where it adds the most value?
Sometimes the smallest financial questions reveal the biggest structural ones.
Looking ahead
For many community organisations, caution around spending is rooted in something admirable – a desire to protect limited resources and steward them well.
That instinct is worth keeping.
But strong stewardship isn’t the same as centralising every decision. At certain stages, centralised control protects the organisation. At later stages, it can quietly constrain it.
As your community group grows in size and complexity; it can be helpful to pause and consider whether your current approval processes still match the organisation you are today.
Because in the end, it’s rarely about the lunch.
It’s about whether your structures are proportionate, clear and enabling – allowing decisions to sit at the right level, so leadership energy is focused where it matters most.
This article forms part of a series exploring practical financial governance considerations for community charities. The reflections shared are based on common themes observed across the voluntary sector and are intended to support collective learning.
About the Author
Aishat Idris is the Finance Manager at Support Cambridgeshire, responsible for the organisation’s financial management and supporting the development of financial governance and capacity across the local voluntary sector.