The 10th Annual Good Governance Awards took place last night at Chartered Accountants House, marking a decade of celebrating strong governance, transparency and high-quality reporting across Ireland’s charity and non-profit sector. Hosted in partnership with Carmichael, the event brought together trustees, volunteers, charity leaders and supporters to honour organisations that are setting the benchmark for responsible stewardship.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive of Chartered Accountants Ireland, Rosemary Keogh, highlighted the central importance of trust, noting that in an increasingly complex and volatile world, good governance is the foundation on which charities earn and maintain public confidence. She emphasised that governance is not simply about compliance, it is a commitment to accountability, purpose and the ethical use of resources for the public good.
A key theme of the evening was the steadily increasing standard of governance across Irish charities. With the publication of the new Charity SORP in October, and the Charities Regulator expected to finalise mandatory scoping requirements in 2026, boards, management teams and donors will have more to familiarise themselves with in the year ahead. These developments reinforce the need for ongoing training, clarity and leadership - particularly in areas such as financial reporting, risk oversight, impact measurement and transparency.
The many roles played by Chartered Accountants across the non-profit landscape was also recognised at the event. Members serve as trustees, treasurers, employees, auditors, advisers, volunteers and donors, bringing professional judgement, financial stewardship and ethical leadership to charities and non-profits of all sizes. Some have also been beneficiaries of the sector’s work, reinforcing its deep societal value. Their contribution aligns with Chartered Accountants Ireland’s emphasis on trusted business leadership and reflects the profession’s commitment to serving the public interest.
A very warm appreciation was also extended to Carmichael and Diarmaid O’Corrbui, Co-founder of the Good Governance Awards, for a decade of championing excellence in governance.
Congratulations once again to all this year’s winners, who were:
- Category 1 (< €100,000): Chronic Pain Ireland
- Category 2 (€100,000–€250,000): Kilkenny Volunteer Centre
- Category 3 (€250,000–€750,000): IDEA – Irish Development Education Association
- Category 4 (€750,000–€2.5m): Belong To
- Category 5 (€2.5m–€10m): Women’s Aid
- Category 6 (€10m–€50m): Oxfam Ireland
- Category 7 (> €50m): Rehab Group
All shortlisted organisations received expert feedback from volunteer judges and assessors, a core feature of the Awards that supports continuous improvement throughout the sector.
For further information or comment please contact Head of Ethics and Governance, Níall Fitzgerald at ethicsgov@charteredaccountants.ie
LOADING...