Setting up a nonprofit of any sort can be an exciting project. People who are inspired to make a difference, to address unmet needs or to make a change in the way things work can achieve great things. It is almost impossible to make significant progress without involving others to help complete the work that needs to be done, which will mean setting up an organisation of some form. This guide will bring you through the key considerations in setting up a nonprofit organisation as well as provide descriptions of the most common forms of nonprofit to help you choose the best form for your organisation.
Cutting Edge Board Meetings
Carmichael and The Wheel held a joint event during Charity Trustees Week 2022 on the topic of Cutting Edge Board meetings and have now produced a resource Cutting Edge Boards based on the panel discussion. The conversation ranged widely among the expert panellists and much discussion centred on the fundamentals of an effective board meeting.
Read it here Cutting Edge Boards.
Click here to book one of Carmichael’s meeting rooms for an in-person or hybrid Board meeting.
The annual report represents a real opportunity for organisations in the charity and non-profit sector to showcase their transparency and trust by disclosing their strategic performance, governance practices, culture and financial results. A good annual report does more than meet minimum reporting requirements. It can provide a comprehensive picture of an organisation, including its achievements and future plans. It serves to reinforce relationships with stakeholders and build further relationships with the public, potential donors, volunteers and supporters.
Each of the annual reports entered into the awards undergoes a rigorous assessment process, including a technical compliance review, an assessment of governance practice disclosures and, for those short-listed, a three-stage independent judge review.
In the spirit of improving standards, we have compiled a summary of the Judges’ top recommendations arising from their review of this year’s shortlisted annual reports.
Read our Governance and Corporate Services Officer Roisin McGuigan’s article here:
Top 10 Recommendations GGA 2022
Whether you’re taking on volunteers, staff members or Board members, it is inevitable that at some point, you will need to hold interviews in your nonprofit. With so many other priorities, it can be easy to let things slip through the cracks and lose great candidates due to an inefficient recruitment process. In this resource we give some examples of how you might conduct interviews in your nonprofit.
Fortunately, most boards and CEOs in the charity sector have positive working relationships. However, when things go wrong, they can go badly wrong. During the Covid pandemic, with all its stresses and strains, some relationships were tested. This was a timely reminder that good working relationships should not be taken for granted. This resource document was drawn up in response to two events organised by Carmichael and the Wheel: an online webinar in November 2021 and a facilitated panel discussion at the Wheel Summit in June 2022. Attendees at both events had many questions and observations; and expressed a need for more support and resources on this important topic.
The Commentary on Charities Amendment Bill 2022, prepared for Carmichael by Professor Oonagh Breen of UCD and Philip Smith of Arthur Cox Solicitors
Carmichael’s CEO, Diarmaid Ó Corrbuí was a guest on the Diligent – BoardEffect Board Governance webinar series speaking to host Mark Wilson, Governance Advisor with BoardEffect on the topic of “Managing boards in a hybrid environment”. Below you can download an edited transcript of the discussion.
This article explains how to agree operational policies for any nonprofit and the steps involved in putting policies in place, in accordance to the Charities Governance Code core standards (3.4).
In June of this year, Carmichael worked with TU Dublin to examine the impact of Covid-19 on Irish nonprofits. Read the full report once below.
The Compliance Calendar is a useful addition to the board materials for a meeting to ensure that relevant actions are addressed by the Board. It can also assist with preparing the agenda for an upcoming meeting. This Sample Compliance Calendar, suitable for small or all volunteer organisations, should be amended/tailored to reflect the specific compliance requirements of your own charity or non-profit.
Carmichael wishes to acknowledge the support of Colm Hanley, LK Shields Solicitors in the development of this resource.