Carmichael announces the winners of the Good Governance Awards 2024

Strong governance and transparency in the nonprofit sector is more important than ever – Carmichael

Strong governance, accountability and transparency in the nonprofit sector is more important than ever for maintaining public trust and is essential for the sustainability of the nonprofit sector. That’s according to Carmichael, who announced the Good Governance Awards winners 2024.

The Good Governance Awards recognise and encourage adherence to responsible governance by nonprofit organisations in Ireland. Awards are made based on the quality of an organisation’s annual report and financial statements.

Commenting, Diarmaid Ó Corrbuí, CEO of Carmichael, said: “We are delighted to announce the winners for the Good Governance Awards 2024. Each year the Awards showcase the incredible work carried out by nonprofit organisations in Ireland to implement effective and transparent corporate governance policies.

“The awards are now in their 9th year and I am delighted to say it is going from strength to strength. We had 132 nonprofits entering the awards from across the country and overall, we are seeing the standard increasing.”

“Charities and nonprofit organisations are very dependent on public trust and support for their sustainability and survival. In recent years, a number of high-profile cases of poor governance have damaged public trust. These cases are unacceptable and are not the norm in our sector. The annual report provides a real opportunity for nonprofits to tell their story and showcase their commitment to transparency by outlining its performance, governance, culture and financials. An annual report can help to reinforce trust and strengthen relationships with stakeholders and build relationships with the public, potential donors, volunteers and supporters.”

As part of the judging process for the awards, annual reports of applicants are assessed by panels of governance and accountancy experts under the following criteria: transparency, governance, impact and financial information.

Mr. Ó Corrbuí added, “The Good Governance Awards raise the quality of corporate governance in the nonprofit sector by encouraging higher standards of good practice. Expert feedback is provided to all entrants on how to improve the quality of their annual reports. This helps to ensure our sector is meeting best practice and constantly reforming.”

The awards are open to any Irish nonprofit organisation. This can include charities, social enterprises, unincorporated groups, sports organisations and companies limited guarantee. We welcome applications from all areas – from local sports clubs and community groups to social & health service providers and arts organisations.”

Winners

There are seven categories for the awards based on the annual turnover of the organisation:

• Category 1 Winner: Chronic Pain
  For organisations with an annual turnover of less than €100,000
   
• Category 2 Winner: See Beyond Borders
  For organisations with an annual turnover of between €100,000 and €250.000.
   
• Category 3 Winner: Care Alliance
  For organisations with an annual turnover of over €250,000 and under €750,000.
   
• Category 4: Marie Keating Foundation
  For organisations with an annual turnover of over €750,000 and under €2.5 million.
   
• Category 5 Barretstown
  For organisations with an annual turnover of over €2.5 million and under €10 million
   
• Category 6 Foodcloud
  For organisations with an annual turnover of over €10 million and under €50 million
   
• Category 7 Trocaire
  For organisations with an annual turnover of over €50 million.

Details on the entry criteria and categories; the judging panel; and other resources such as annual report templates are available at: www.goodgovernanceawards.ie .