Carmichael Good Governance Awards for Non-Profit Organisations
What are the awards?
The Good Governance Awards recognise, support and promote adherence to good governance practice within the nonprofit sector in Ireland. One of the key focus areas of the awards is the annual report which seeks to encourage nonprofits to use their annual reports and financial statements to showcase their embracement and commitment to good governance and to provide practical examples to the sector of what a good director’s report and financial statements look like. As the awards develop and become established new governance award types will be added.
Context
Public trust in the sector has been damaged by a number of high profile cases of bad governance and unacceptable illegal activities. In these times, strong governance is more important than ever to enable nonprofit organisations to respond effectively and quickly to emerging risks and deliver their objectives.
In this challenging context, the Carmichael Good Governance Awards aims to support and encourage nonprofit organisations to use their annual reports to manage, and communicate their adherence to good governance more effectively and in doing so build greater trust.
Governance extends far beyond board composition and the frequency of board meetings; an organisation’s culture, people, public face, tone, achievements and future plans are all an integral part of governance. Good governance should be transparenand open, encouraging trust within, and of, an organisation. Greater benefit can be obtained by nonprofits through their annual reports as these pubications present a real opportunity to demonstrate transparency and trust and showcase how an organisation is governed.
The nonprofit sector, working for the public benefit, should be in a position to do this. However, we find that many nonprofits stop once they meet the minimum reporting requirments and regrettably, a good annual report in the nonprofit sector tends to be the exception rather than rule. A lot of work needs to be done in the sector to improve the quality of communications and accountability to stakeholders. The Good Governance Awards is one important initiative that addresses this challenge by seeking to encourage higher standards of good practice.
Being seen to adhere to good governance principles is no less important than good governance itself. Not only do many nonprofits resource their work directly through voluntary donations and volunteers’ time, but they also benefit from indirect public support through the legal and fiscal privileges charity status confers. So what nonprofits tell us in their annual reports matters. It contributes enourmously to upholding their precious reputation and positively reinforces relationships with stakeholders, the public, potential donors, volunters and supporters.
Good governance matters not only because it promotes compliance with the law but also because it has a strong bearing on the organisation’s effectiveness in achieving its mission. Good governance is at the heart of what makes nonprofits successful. By focusing on the information make available through their annual reports and accounts, the Good Governance Awards underline the important connection between good governance and accountability.
Format
The main focus of the Carmichael Good Governance Awards is on annual reports and examining how they demonstrate adherence to good governance. However, 2018 sees the introduction of a new award type for Best Governance Improvement Initiative. Over time these awards will continue to expand to include additional award types that demonstrate good governance such as the use of an organisation’s website etc.
Nonprofit organisations may submit applications in the relevant category under either or both award headings.
A panel of judges with appropriate experience and expertise has been established to adjudicate shortlisted entries and select the winners. The awards will be adjudicated based on a desk based evaluation with a screening, shortlisting and judging process. It will be based on the information published in the annual reports & financial statements assessed against specified criteria under a weighed marking scheme (see judging criteria).
Award Type 1
Annual Report/Director’s Report & Financial Statements
Category 1; for volunteer only and organisations with an annual turnover of less than €250,000.
Category 2; for organisations with an annual turnover of between €250,000 and €1 million.
Category 3: for organisations with an annual turnover of between €1 million and €5 million.
Category 4; for organisations with an annual turnover of over €5 million.
Category 5: for organisations with an annual turnover of over €15 million.
Organisations will be able to self-nominate or be nominated.
Award Type 2
Best Governance Improvement Initiative
This new award will recognise initiatives that have been taken in the last 12-18 months to improve the quality of the nonprofit’s governance. We are looking to nonprofits to submit their good governance initiatives, setting out (briefly – max 750 words) the governance issue(s) they addressed, the actions they took and the impact that this has had for the organisation. The award entry categories are the same as the award for the annual report.
Category 1; for volunteer only and organisations with an annual turnover of less than €250,000.
Category 2; for organisations with an annual turnover of between €250,000 and €1 million.
Category 3: for organisations with an annual turnover of between €1 million and €5 million.
Category 4; for organisations with an annual turnover of over €5 million.
Category 5: for organisations with an annual turnover of over €15 million.
Organisations will be able to self-nominate or be nominated.
Entry Critiera
Submit Entry
Awards night
The winners will receive their award at a special event with invited guests and will feature a high profile speaker. The awards event will be held on the evening on 15th November, 2018
Judges for the Good Governance Awards
Disclaimer
It should not be taken that these awards imply a wider compliance of Good Governance practice by any of the winners or shortlisted entries. An organisation’s Annual Report is just one aspect of good governance and there many other practice areas that an organisation needs to comply with if it is to achieve an excellence standard in good governance.
A good governance award for the excellence of their annual report, is not giving organisations a clean bill of health in all aspects of the compliance with good governance practice. Our judges will be making their assessments based solely on the information presented in the annual report. The assessment process does not include an organisation-wide compliance audit with interviews with board members, senior management and key stakeholders.
Our judges are not paid for their role and have volunteered to be part of the awards process because they support the aims of the awards and wish to make a positive contribution to the raising of good governance practice in the sector and to acknowledge these organisations who demonstrating good practice in their annual reports.
Unfortunately, there may be cases where an organisation is very skilled in presenting and communicating a very positive image but in reality, the culture, ethos and practices are complete variance from the communicated image it portrays.
Carmichael Good Governance Awards for Non-Profit Organisations
What are the awards?
The Good Governance Awards recognise, support and promote adherence to good governance practice within the nonprofit sector in Ireland. One of the key focus areas of the awards is the annual report which seeks to encourage nonprofits to use their annual reports and financial statements to showcase their embracement and commitment to good governance and to provide practical examples to the sector of what a good director’s report and financial statements look like. As the awards develop and become established new governance award types will be added.
Context
Public trust in the sector has been damaged by a number of high profile cases of bad governance and unacceptable illegal activities. In these times, strong governance is more important than ever to enable nonprofit organisations to respond effectively and quickly to emerging risks and deliver their objectives.
In this challenging context, the Carmichael Good Governance Awards aims to support and encourage nonprofit organisations to use their annual reports to manage, and communicate their adherence to good governance more effectively and in doing so build greater trust.
Governance extends far beyond board composition and the frequency of board meetings; an organisation’s culture, people, public face, tone, achievements and future plans are all an integral part of governance. Good governance should be transparenand open, encouraging trust within, and of, an organisation. Greater benefit can be obtained by nonprofits through their annual reports as these pubications present a real opportunity to demonstrate transparency and trust and showcase how an organisation is governed.
The nonprofit sector, working for the public benefit, should be in a position to do this. However, we find that many nonprofits stop once they meet the minimum reporting requirments and regrettably, a good annual report in the nonprofit sector tends to be the exception rather than rule. A lot of work needs to be done in the sector to improve the quality of communications and accountability to stakeholders. The Good Governance Awards is one important initiative that addresses this challenge by seeking to encourage higher standards of good practice.
Being seen to adhere to good governance principles is no less important than good governance itself. Not only do many nonprofits resource their work directly through voluntary donations and volunteers’ time, but they also benefit from indirect public support through the legal and fiscal privileges charity status confers. So what nonprofits tell us in their annual reports matters. It contributes enourmously to upholding their precious reputation and positively reinforces relationships with stakeholders, the public, potential donors, volunters and supporters.
Good governance matters not only because it promotes compliance with the law but also because it has a strong bearing on the organisation’s effectiveness in achieving its mission. Good governance is at the heart of what makes nonprofits successful. By focusing on the information make available through their annual reports and accounts, the Good Governance Awards underline the important connection between good governance and accountability.
Format
The main focus of the Carmichael Good Governance Awards is on annual reports and examining how they demonstrate adherence to good governance. However, 2018 sees the introduction of a new award type for Best Governance Improvement Initiative. Over time these awards will continue to expand to include additional award types that demonstrate good governance such as the use of an organisation’s website etc.
Nonprofit organisations may submit applications in the relevant category under either or both award headings.
A panel of judges with appropriate experience and expertise has been established to adjudicate shortlisted entries and select the winners. The awards will be adjudicated based on a desk based evaluation with a screening, shortlisting and judging process. It will be based on the information published in the annual reports & financial statements assessed against specified criteria under a weighed marking scheme (see judging criteria).
Award Type 1
Annual Report/Director’s Report & Financial Statements
Category 1; for volunteer only and organisations with an annual turnover of less than €250,000.
Category 2; for organisations with an annual turnover of between €250,000 and €1 million.
Category 3: for organisations with an annual turnover of between €1 million and €5 million.
Category 4; for organisations with an annual turnover of over €5 million.
Category 5: for organisations with an annual turnover of over €15 million.
Organisations will be able to self-nominate or be nominated.
Award Type 2
Best Governance Improvement Initiative
This new award will recognise initiatives that have been taken in the last 12-18 months to improve the quality of the nonprofit’s governance. We are looking to nonprofits to submit their good governance initiatives, setting out (briefly – max 750 words) the governance issue(s) they addressed, the actions they took and the impact that this has had for the organisation. The award entry categories are the same as the award for the annual report.
Category 1; for volunteer only and organisations with an annual turnover of less than €250,000.
Category 2; for organisations with an annual turnover of between €250,000 and €1 million.
Category 3: for organisations with an annual turnover of between €1 million and €5 million.
Category 4; for organisations with an annual turnover of over €5 million.
Category 5: for organisations with an annual turnover of over €15 million.
Organisations will be able to self-nominate or be nominated.
Entry Critiera
Submit Entry
Awards night
The winners will receive their award at a special event with invited guests and will feature a high profile speaker. The awards event will be held on the evening on 15th November, 2018
Judges for the Good Governance Awards
Disclaimer
It should not be taken that these awards imply a wider compliance of Good Governance practice by any of the winners or shortlisted entries. An organisation’s Annual Report is just one aspect of good governance and there many other practice areas that an organisation needs to comply with if it is to achieve an excellence standard in good governance.
A good governance award for the excellence of their annual report, is not giving organisations a clean bill of health in all aspects of the compliance with good governance practice. Our judges will be making their assessments based solely on the information presented in the annual report. The assessment process does not include an organisation-wide compliance audit with interviews with board members, senior management and key stakeholders.
Our judges are not paid for their role and have volunteered to be part of the awards process because they support the aims of the awards and wish to make a positive contribution to the raising of good governance practice in the sector and to acknowledge these organisations who demonstrating good practice in their annual reports.
Unfortunately, there may be cases where an organisation is very skilled in presenting and communicating a very positive image but in reality, the culture, ethos and practices are complete variance from the communicated image it portrays.
