Target Audience
For voluntary, non-profit sports clubs, and community groups looking to apply for the Community Sports Facilities Fund.
Outline
Prepare your club or organisation for the upcoming Community Sports Facilities Fund (formerly Sports Capital Fund). Led by experienced grant writer Joanne Ryan, we will navigate project preparation, reviewing your eligibility, assessment and scoring information for best approaches, identifying documents needed, budgeting and language for your applications.
Methodology
Delivered virtually, via Zoom.
Target Audience
This course will be beneficial for anyone needing a better understanding of the Companies Act 2014, Charities Act 2009 and Charities Amendment Act 2024 for organisations in the not-for-profit sector.
Outline
This course will explore the implications of The Companies Act 2014 for Companies Limited by Guarantee (CLG), charity trustee obligations under the Charities Act 2009, the related reporting and compliance obligations set out by the Charities Regulator, and the key provisions of the Charities Amendment Act 2024.
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Zoom.
Target Audience
CEOs, Finance Managers and Board Members of Charities.
Outline
- Overview of Charities (Amendment) Act 2024
- Introduction to Charities SORP 2026
- Overview of FRS 102 Charities SORP and reporting framework
- Structure and content of Trustees’ Annual Report and Accounts
- Fund accounting and types of charity funds
- Income and expenditure recognition (including grants and donations)
- Reserves policy and financial governance expectations
- Preparing for transition to the new SORP in 2026
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Zoom.
Target Audience
All board members and trustees who wish to be better equipped to ensure effective financial oversight of their organisation.
Outline
The board has responsibility for the financial oversight of the organisation and as such, individual board members need to be able to understand the financial statements presented to them. This course will seek to demystify the jargon surrounding financial statements to give you the skills and knowledge to be able to read and understand them, identify areas of concern within them and ask questions and follow through on those concerns to ensure you fulfil your oversight responsibilities.
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Zoom.
Target Audience
Anyone wishing to learn how to use Microsoft OneNote. Microsoft OneNote is a digital notebook that’s part of Microsoft 365 and can be used to capture, organise, and find information from any device by creating digital notebooks.
Outline
- Creating and organising Notebooks
- Adding and managing content
- Integrating with other tools
- Collaboration and sharing
- Security and backup
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams. This session will be recorded and the recording will be circulated to participants on completion.
Target Audience
Designed for all staff and volunteers working within non-profit organisations.
Outline
1. Introduction to AI in Non-Profits
- Overview of AI and its relevance to non-profits
- Benefits and ethical considerations
2. Understanding Chat GPT
- What is Chat GPT?
- Definition and capabilities
- Use cases in non-profits
- Practical Demonstrations
- Live example of ChatGPT in action
3. Writing Effective Prompts
- Basics of prompt writing
- Structure and clarity
- Examples of good and bad prompts
- Techniques to enhance prompt effectiveness
- Use of context and specificity
4. Refining ChatGPT Outputs
- Iterative refinement techniques
- Analysing initial outputs
- Tweaking prompts for better results
5. Custom GPTs
- Introduction to Custom GPTs
- Definition and potential
- Creating and managing Custom GPTs
- Use cases for non-profits
- Tailoring AI to specific organisational needs
6. AI in Speeding Up Internal Processes
- Streamlining communication
- Email and report generation
- Data analysis and insights
- AI-powered data processing
- Enhancing customer service
- Automated response systems
7. AI-Generated Imagery
- Introduction to AI-generated imagery
- What it is and how it works
- Tools and platforms
- Overview of popular tools
- Practical guide to generating images
- Step-by-step process
- Ethical use of AI imagery
- Recognising and appropriately using AI-generated content
8. AI Video Editing Tools
- Overview of AI video editing tools
- Introduction to Descript and other tools
- Enhancing video production
- Features and benefits for non-profits
- Practical demonstrations
- Editing a sample video with Descript
- Best practices for professional video output
- Tips and tricks for polished videos
9. Case Studies and Best Practices
- Real-world examples
- Success stories from non-profits with AI
- Lessons learned and pitfalls to avoid
10. Q&A and Hands-On Workshop
Methodology
Delivered via Zoom.
Target Audience
For Approved Housing Bodies categorised as ‘Micro’ (less than 20 dwellings), ‘Small’ (between 20 and 100 dwellings) as well as those registered as Care and Support AHBs.
Outline
The Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA) is an independent authority, established in February 2021. The organisation is tasked with the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) for the purposes of protecting housing assets provided or managed by such bodies. Section 37(8) of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Act 2019 requires all AHBs to comply with the Standards. The AHBRA establish a set of outcomes that AHBs are required to achieve to demonstrate the protection of housing assets provided or managed by AHBs.
Compliance with the Standards is a statutory requirement and clearly this presents many challenges for AHBs at the smaller end of the scale, particularly from a human and financial resource perspective.
The primary objective of the training programme is to provide AHBs categorised as ‘Micro’ (less than 20 dwellings) and ‘Small’ (between 20 and 100 dwellings with a clear understanding of the Standards for AHBs, enabling them to effectively implement and maintain compliance.
The training content supports:
- develop an increased awareness of the Standards for AHBs and what it means for them;
- enhance operational efficiency and help understand to a greater extent how compliance can be demonstrated; and
- undertake gap analysis to identify weaknesses or non-compliance with the Standards.
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Zoom.
Target Audience
New Board Members, Directors, Charity Trustees of non-profit organisations.
Outline
A comprehensive induction is an important first step in ensuring that new Board Members, Directors and Charity Trustees have the understanding needed to carry out their roles, responsibilities and obligations effectively. This workshop aims to form part of that induction process.
Below is an outline of the topics covered:
- Governance Overview
- Board Members’ Roles and Responsibilities
- The Chairperson
- Board Relationship with CEO/Staff
- Company Limited by Guarantee – Directors
- Charity – Charity Trustees
- What more to expect from a Board Induction
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Zoom.
Target Audience
Anyone seeking hands-on training and practical tips for integrating Copilot Chat with Microsoft 365 apps, an essential resource for anyone looking to optimise their workflows and stay ahead with Microsoft’s latest AI tool. Copilot Chat is free with a Microsoft Business 365 subscription, i.e. an Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint annual subscription, but not a home or family subscription. The session does not include training on the paid Copilot licence for Copilot within Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Outline
This course provides hands-on training with Copilot Chat, demonstrating its core capabilities such as information retrieval, document drafting, and project management support. Participants will learn how to:
- Create drafts for documents like policies, procedures and guidelines
- Create outlines for PowerPoint presentations
- Create images in different styles and sizes for social media and PowerPoint presentations
- Create summaries and action items from the transcript of a Teams meeting
- Use ready made Microsoft Agents to help you work smarter with Copilot
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams. This session will be recorded and the recording will be circulated to participants on completion.
Target Audience
This session is designed for those who are new to writing grant applications, or those who would like feedback on applications they are currently completing.
Outline
How do we make successful grant applications? This workshop provides an opportunity to identify the challenges, the most common mistakes applicants make and also what errors causes application disqualifications. Participants should come away with a better understanding of appropriate language & wording to help better make the case for their grant application.
Methodology
This session will be in Carmichael Centre, Dublin 7.