The Good Governance Awards Entry Gateway
The award focuses on annual reports, examining how they demonstrate adherence to good governance. A panel of judges with appropriate experience and expertise has been established to adjudicate shortlisted entries and select the winners.
The awards will be judged 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.
The Awards Categories
Supporting Documentation Submission
To support your application, you may be asked to provide documentation that demonstrates your organisation’s governance arrangements and practices. These documents help the judging panel understand how governance is embedded across your organisation and provide evidence to support your submission.
Typical documents may include:
- Annual Report Risk Register
- Financial Statements Governance Policies
- Governing Document Board Structure or Committee Information
- Strategic Plan Other documents relevant to your submission
Not every document will be required for every category. Full guidance on supporting documentation is provided within the entry process.
A Rigorous and Independent Judging Process
Every submission is evaluated through a structured, independent process designed to ensure fairness, consistency and credibility. Our experienced judging panel assesses each entry against published governance criteria, recognising organisations that demonstrate outstanding leadership, accountability and governance excellence.
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Organisations submit their application online before the closing date, providing responses to the judging criteria and any required supporting documentation.
Entries are checked for:
- Completed application form
- Valid organisation details
- Submission before the closing date
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Each submission is reviewed to ensure it meets the entry requirements and has been entered into the correct category. Entrants will receive a notification email following an entry.
Entries must meet:
- Registered charity or non-profit status
- Minimum twelve months of operation
- Up-to-date annual accounts
- Complete supporting documentation
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Every eligible entry is assessed independently by members of the judging panel using a consistent scoring framework.
Judges evaluate areas such as:
- Leadership and oversight
- Governance structures
- Accountability and transparency
- Risk management
- Strategic planning
- Financial stewardship
- Board effectiveness
- Organisational impact
- Innovation and continuous improvement
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Scores are reviewed and the highest-performing organisations in each category are shortlisted. Where appropriate, judges discuss submissions collectively to ensure consistency and fairness.
Shortlisting considers:
- Overall assessment score
- Consistency across judging criteria
- Strength of supporting evidence
- Balance across award categories
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The judging panel meets to review shortlisted organisations, validate scores and agree the winners in each category. This stage ensures that every winner represents genuine excellence in governance.
The panel reviews:
- Shortlisted applications in full
- Judges' individual scores and notes
- Any clarifications requested from entrants
- Final category rankings
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Finalists are invited to the Good Governance Awards ceremony, where category winners and overall award recipients are announced.
Finalists receive:
- An invitation to the awards ceremony
- Confirmation of their category
- Written feedback from the judging panel
Guiding Principles
Every submission is judged according to four principles:
- Independent — Judges act independently and declare any conflicts of interest.
- Consistent — All entries are assessed against the same published criteria.
- Confidential — Information provided by entrants remains confidential throughout the judging process.
- Transparent — The judging framework is clear, robust and designed to recognise genuine governance excellence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Good Governance Awards?
The Good Governance Awards recognise and celebrate organisations across Ireland that demonstrate excellence in governance, leadership, accountability and transparency. The awards aim to promote good governance as the foundation of effective, sustainable organisations.
Who organises the awards?
The Good Governance Awards are organised by Carmichael, Ireland’s leading support organisation for charities, community groups and voluntary organisations.
Why should my organisation enter?
Entering demonstrates your commitment to good governance, provides national recognition, allows you to benchmark your practices and celebrates the work of your board, leadership and staff.
Which organisations can enter?
The Awards are open to registered charities, sports organisations, approved housing bodies, and companies limited by guarantee or other non-profit company structures operating in Ireland. Entrants confirm which of these descriptions applies when submitting (more than one can apply).
Is there a minimum length of time we need to have been operating?
Yes. Entrants must have been operating for a minimum of twelve months and have up-to-date annual accounts.
Which category should we enter?
Categories are set by an organisation’s total annual income, as reported in its annual report and financial statements:
- Category 1: under €100,000
- Category 2: €100,000 to €250,000
- Category 3: €250,000 to €750,000
- Category 4: €750,000 to €2.5 million
- Category 5: €2.5 million to €10 million
- Category 6: €10 million to €50 million
- Category 7: over €50 million
What do we need to submit?
A signed copy of your organisation’s most recent Annual/Directors’ Report and Financial Statements, including notes to the accounts and, where relevant, the audit report. If your organisation produces the annual report and the financial statements as separate documents, submit both — for Categories 3 to 7 these must be combined into a single file, or marks may be lost for areas not addressed in a single document. Depending on your category, you may also be asked for supporting material such as a risk register, governance policies, board or committee information, or your strategic plan.
What file formats and sizes are accepted?
PDF, DOC or DOCX, up to two files and a maximum of 2GB per submission. If a file exceeds this, you can compress it or email it separately to [email protected].
When do entries open and close?
Key dates are set annually. For the 2026 Awards, entries opened on 27 May and close on 10 September, with finalists announced and the ceremony held on 18 November 2026.
Who judges the entries?
An independent panel of governance professionals from across Ireland, drawn from academia, accountancy, professional governance bodies and the non-profit sector. The full panel is listed on the Meet the Judging Panel page.
How are entries judged?
Judging is a review of each entrant’s annual report and financial statements, assessed against a published framework covering leadership and oversight, governance structures, accountability and transparency, risk management, strategic planning, financial stewardship, board effectiveness, organisational impact, and innovation and continuous improvement.
What are the stages of judging?
Entries move through an eligibility review, independent assessment by individual judges using a consistent scoring framework, shortlisting, and a final review stage where the panel meets to validate scores and agree category winners.
When and where does the ceremony take place?
The 2026 ceremony takes place on 18 November, alongside the finalist announcement.
Can an organisation win more than once?
Yes. Several organisations have been recognised across more than one year such as Trócaire and Concern Worldwide and some, including Care Alliance Ireland, have featured as winners in multiple award years since 2016.
Do finalists who don’t win receive any feedback?
Yes, finalists receive written feedback from the judging panel as part of the process, regardless of the final outcome.
What does good governance look like in practice?
Good governance is reflected in how an organisation is led, how decisions are made and how responsibility is shared. Clear roles, effective oversight, thoughtful decision-making and open communication all contribute to an organisation that is well-managed and accountable.
Why is good governance important for an organisation?
Strong governance provides a foundation for effective leadership and informed decision-making. It can help organisations manage risk, use resources responsibly, maintain trust and remain focused on achieving their purpose.
How can an organisation strengthen its governance?
Governance is an ongoing process rather than a one-off exercise. Regularly reviewing board effectiveness, roles and responsibilities, decision-making processes, risk management and strategic priorities can help identify opportunities for improvement and ensure governance practices continue to support the organisation’s needs.
Submit Your Entry
Guidance for Entrants:
Please see the Entry and Assessment Process and Judging Criteria before submitting your entry.
NB: Nonprofits that produce separate annual reports and financial statements should submit both documents otherwise, they risk losing marks for areas not addressed in the single document. For Categories 3-7, these must be combined into a single document.