Chartered Accountants Ireland has congratulated the winners of the 7th annual Good Governance Awards, which took place last night, in Chartered Accountants House, Dublin. The Awards is an initiative that recognises and encourages adherence to good governance practice by charities and other non-profits in Ireland. They were founded by Carmichael with the support of partners, including Chartered Accountants Ireland, and leading national bodies in the non-profit sector.
Among the organisations recognised this year are Mental Health Reform, NiteLine, Breaking Through, The Ark and Barnardos.
Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development Joe O’Brien T.D. and Stephanie Manahan, CEO of Pieta, delivered keynote addresses on the evening. Sinead Donovan, Deputy President of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Diarmaid O’Corrbui, CEO of Carmichael, and Denise Charlton, CEO at the Community Foundation for Ireland also spoke to attendees about the importance of charity and non-profit organisations and the role of governance in building trust and confidence in the sector.
Commenting Deputy President of Chartered Accountants Ireland Sinead Donovan said
“I want to commend the commitment of employees, trustees and volunteers to building public trust in the charities and non-profit sector. Through the promotion of good governance, accountability, transparency and by working collaboratively with stakeholders, they are delivering value for money and making a positive impact for beneficiaries and society”.
All entrants to the Awards receive feedback from some of the most respected and experienced experts in the sector.
Commenting on the feedback, Níall Fitzgerald, Head of Ethics and Governance, Chartered Accountants Ireland and Judge in the Awards, observed
“The quality of governance disclosure is getting higher every year and the Annual Reports of shortlisted entrants can serve as insightful templates for others. What is most impressive is the level of innovation in the way entrants are telling their story, illustrating their impact, and providing insight to their governance processes."
“The higher scoring entrants are reporting beyond minimum requirements on issues like diversity, equity and inclusion, gender pay gap, sustainability and other challenges relevant to their charitable activities. This is a further example of the commitment to transparency and accountability in this sector and their awareness of what matters to society”.
The 2022 winners are:
Category 1 (annual turnover <€50k): NiteLine
Category 2 (annual turnover between €50k and €250k): Breaking Through CLG
Category 3 (annual turnover between €250k and €1m): Mental Health Reform
Category 4 (annual turnover between €1m and €5m): The Ark
Category 5 (annual turnover between €5m and €15m): The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation
Category 6 (annual turnover between €15m and €50m): Barnardos Ireland
Category 7 (annual turnover >€50m): Trócaire
As part of the mission to encourage and promote good practice in annual reports and others areas of governance, feedback is provided to all entrants. In addition, overall observations of what organisations did very well and areas for improvement are shared. Further details on the Good Governance Awards are available on www.goodgovernanceawards.ie.