News & Events

Strong governance in the non-profit sector is more important than ever for maintaining public trust and is essential for the sustainability of the non-profit sector. That’s according to Carmichael, who launched the opening of applications for their Good Governance Awards 2021 today.

Now in its sixth year, the Good Governance Awards recognise and encourage adherence to responsible governance by non-profit organisations in Ireland.  In 2020, Carmichael received its highest number of applications for the Awards, with 100 non-profit organisations applying.

Commenting today, Diarmaid Ó Corrbuí, CEO of Carmichael, said: “We are delighted to open applications for the Good Governance Awards 2021. Each year the Awards showcase the excellent work carried out by non-profit organisations to implement effective and transparent corporate governance policies.

“Strong governance is essential in maintaining public trust and support for the vital work non-profit organisations do. Public trust in the sector in recent years has been damaged by a number of high-profile cases of bad governance. These cases are unacceptable and not the norm in our sector.

“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, our sector has been at the forefront in supporting some of the most vulnerable and marginalised communities in our society. Non-profit organisations have provided essential services such as food parcels, supports for the elderly and online learning for children. Strong governance is now more important than ever in ensuring non-profit organisations are operating effectively.”

As part of the judging process for the awards, annual reports of applicants are assessed by panels of governance and accountancy experts, under the following criteria: transparency, governance, performance and impact and financial information. Last year’s awardees were: Concern, Laura Lynn, BeLong To, Children’s Rights Alliance, Sharing Point and Serve the City.

Mr. Ó Corrbuí added, ““The Good Governance Awards raise the quality of corporate governance in our sector by encouraging higher standards of good practice. Expert feedback is provided to all entrants on how to improve the quality of their annual reports. This helps to ensure our sector is meeting best practice and constantly reforming.

“This year we are especially encouraging applications from the diverse range of organisations working in the non-profit sector. We welcome applications from all areas – from arts and sports to homeless services and youth organisations. Due to the growing profile of the Good Governance Awards, we expect to see our highest number of applications yet this year.”

How to Enter

To enter, the non-profit organisation must be registered in Ireland and have a social purpose. There are seven categories for the awards based on the annual turnover of the organisation:

• Category 1: For volunteer only and organisations with an annual turnover of less than €50,000
• Category 2: For organisations with an annual turnover of between €50,000 and €250,000.
• Category 3: For organisations with an annual turnover of between €250,000 and €1 million.
• Category 4: For organisations with an annual turnover of between €1 million and €5 million.
• Category 5: For organisations with an annual turnover of between €5 million and €15 million
• Category 6: For organisations with an annual turnover of between €15 million and €50 million
• Category 7: For organisations with an annual turnover of over €50 million.

Details on the entry criteria and categories; the judging panel; guidance on how to enter; and other resources such as annual report templates are available at:  www.goodgovernanceawards.ie .

About Carmichael

Carmichael is a leading specialist training and support body for non-profits in Ireland. With over 30 years’ experience, based on a foundation of 45 resident organisations, they provide expert guidance to non-profits to support them to become more effective and impactful at what they do.

Parentline has partnered up with Salesforce for a very special fundraising event. Salesforce is a global leader in customer relationship management (CRM) and employs 2,100 people. The company has a strong ethos of giving back to the community and volunteering for non profits.

Salesforce is encouraging all of its employees, customers and partners wherever they live, to take a dip in the sea on Friday June 11^th in a bid to raise funds for Parentline. Parentline is a national, confidential helpline that offers support, information and guidance in confidence and without judgment to parents of children of all ages and in relation to any parenting issues.

The funds raised in support of this special and exciting event will particularly be targeted at increasing the awareness nationwide of the Post-Natal Depression supports offered by Parentline to new mothers. This is particularly in light of figures that show that four out of five women get some form of baby blues and between 10% and 15% go on the develop PND. This is a vast number of new mothers considering there are approximately 62,000 births in Ireland each year.

Along with encouraging employees and the entire Salesforce community to take a dip In the sea on June 11^th and to donate to Parentline, Salesforce, the company, has committed to match any and all funds raised by its employees and their friends and families.

But the event is not limited to Salesforce and its employees and can be participated in by the wider community. So I would encourage everyone to come out on the day and bring a gang or even a few to your local beach, lake or river and dip a toe or a hand or even your full body into the water. Just remember to do so safely!

Carmichael are hoping as many people and organisations as possible will pass  on the news of this great fundraising event to anyone who might be interested. Any donations can be made through the iDonate button on the Parentline website.

Parentline are a resident Carmichael organisation. You can keep up to date with all their great work here.

We all look forward to seeing some of you braving the water on the day and all for a great cause!

Covid-19 has forever changed the way we work. As we enter the post-Covid world, organisations need to seriously consider their working model for the future – and in this instance, their office space situation.

Anyone who has worked from home this year can tell you that remote-working comes with its share of disadvantages. According to a survey carried out by Digital Business Ireland, social isolation was most commonly named as the greatest challenge faced due to work-from-home arrangements. 36% of respondents said their mental health or mood had worsened since they moved to working remotely. 21% of respondents named unsatisfactory workstations as the greatest challenge they are facing while working from home.

More than two thirds of respondents wanted to have a hybrid model of working after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, with the option to work from home for some of the week and work in the office for the rest of the week. According to a report by Sigmar and AON just 34% of workers want to return to the office on a full-time basis once Covid restrictions are permanently lifted.

This leaves organisations in a difficult position when it comes to office space as it is often not financially viable to pay for rent, cleaning and supplies if staff only intend to be at their desks for part of the week.

One model which is becoming increasingly popular is co-working. Co-working spaces allow organisations with similar goals or values to come together and share space, resources and expertise. Co-working spaces can be much more flexible than a “normal” office as organisations can rent as many desks as they would like in a fully-serviced shared office with the expectation that only some of their team will be present each day.

For organisations with one person who requires an office for only some of the week, the opportunity to desk-share with another organisation is an effective cost-saving measure while also mitigating the social isolation of a one-person team. When it is necessary for the larger team to meet, co-working spaces provide meeting rooms and even rooms equipped for hybrid meetings, with some people physically present and others attending online.

Co-working spaces are often themed to maximise the benefit of sharing experiences and resources. Carmichael’s co-working spaces are exclusively available to non-profit organisations. While some larger organisations choose to rent a private office within the building while still taking advantage of the shared kitchen and IT facilities, others share an office with one other organisation, or choose a room with several very small non-profits which each have only 1 or 2 people.

Our resident non-profits range from very small, volunteer-only organisations, to high profile national charities and each non-profit benefits from sharing experiences with other organisations, accessing supports provided by Carmichael and sharing facilities. For the full range of accommodation options provided by Carmichael, see here.

The Neurofibromatosis (NF) Association of Ireland are taking part in a nationwide call to ‘Shine a Light on NF’ and bring attention to a genetic disorder that affects more than 2,500 children and adults living in Ireland and 2 million people worldwide.

The worldwide NF community are recognizing May 17th as World NF Awareness Day and they’re hoping to raise awareness for this genetic disorder that currently has no cure. Over the years, hundreds of landmarks around the world have helped them Shine a Light on NF. This year the following buildings will be light up in Blue or Blue and Green for our association, the Mansion House and Convention Centre in Dublin, Kilkenny Castle, Bunratty Castle in Co Clare and King John’s Castle in Limerick.

The disorder is Neurofibromatosis, or NF, which is a genetic disorder that causes tumours to grow on nerves throughout the body, and may cause blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning disabilities, disabling pain and cancer.

NF Ireland aim to be a voice for NF patients and their families. Our primary aim is to inform sufferers and their families of the disorder, supporting them and letting them know they are not alone with the condition. The organisation provide support and information on Neurofibromatosis to patients, families, and healthcare providers.

Depending on the individual needs of our members they do our very best to provide them with the most up to date information on their condition. Much can be done to effectively manage NF1 and help affected individuals lead full, healthy lives. Thanks to advances in NF1 research, new discoveries about the condition are being made every year.

They have met tons of other people living their lives and fighting NF with strength, dignity and even a sense of humor in Ireland. NF is a rare disease, and one of the most important things they can do is raise awareness and talk about what it means to live with NF.

NF is classified as a rare disease, and to see such visible support on such well-known landmarks will lead to tremendous excitement and pride among the entire NF community throughout Ireland.

The Neurofibromatosis Association of Ireland are a resident Carmichael resident organisation. May is NF Awareness Month and they are inviting other members of the Ireland community to fight with our family by learning more about NF at www.nfaireland.ie or contacting us at our Helpline: 085 702 0024 or Email: info@nfaireland.ie

May is Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month. Huntington’s disease is a rare and hereditary disorder of the brain which causes people to deteriorate physically, cognitively and mentally – yet there is little awareness of the condition and its impact on families.

This year all four voluntary organisations that support people impacted by Huntington’s disease across Ireland and the UK are working together to raise awareness of the impact of Huntington’s disease, not just on individuals but on families, over generations.  Family members from each region are sharing their stories and contributions in a collective ‘Family Matters’ campaign throughout the month of May.

The Huntington’s community is delighted to have the support of George Rainsford and Sarah Winckless MBE for the Family Matters campaign. George is an actor who plays Dr Ethan Hardy on Casualty, and who is involved in a storyline about Huntington’s at the moment. Sarah is an Olympic medallist and double world champion rower from the UK.

As a Resident Carmichael organisation, Huntington’s Disease Association of Ireland is very grateful for the contributions received to date,  and for the messages of support from the wider community including one from the Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups. You can find out more about the Family Matters campaign at https://familymatters.com

You can keep up to date with all of their news from their website , and their social media channels including: Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram.

Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality are set to host ‘The Art of Witness’, as part of the Mother Tongue Festival 2021. The Art of Witness will be a presentation of creative practice and an online panel discussion exploring themes of language, identity and culture on the island of Ireland. In conjunction with the Annual Mother Tongues Arts Festival 2021, Smashing Times are looking forward for the event set to take place on Friday 14 May 2021 at 7.30pm.

Mother Tongues Arts Festival 2021 will have a programme of over 40 artists, and primarily will take place online, as has been the case for some time during the ongoing pandemic. Mother Tongue believe this will allow participation at the heart of their programme with the Walk A While initiative.

The Mother Tongues Festival remains the largest Irish Festival celebrating linguistic diversity throughout the arts. Until 2020, the weekend-long Festival took place on the 21st of February to celebrate its founding organisation’s first birthday and UNESCO’s International Mother Language Day.

This year, the programme will take place throughout May 2021 in conjunction with World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The Festival will feature a dynamic programme of art workshops, school visits, film screenings, and a series of events available in 20 different languages. To learn more about the 2021 Mother Tongues Festival and to get your tickets, visit their site here.

Among the artists and panel members for Smashing Times’ The Art of Witness presentation include are award-winning writer Féilim James and Noelle AcAlinden to name but a few.  Féilim has won several awards including the Arts of Council of Ireland Literature Bursary Award and Professional Development Award and an Arts Bursary from Dublin City Arts Office. The aforementioned Noelle McAlinden is a visual artist, creative advisor, mental health campaigner, curator and cultural broker. There will be Richard Edgar; an Author and Historian and Kwasie Boyce, the Artistic Director of M.A.D. Youth Theatre, Dundalk.

Smashing Times explain that “Across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Europe and beyond citizens of all backgrounds and cultures are finding ways to come together to create spaces where culture works to strengthen social ties”.

Smashing Times will work with Mother Tongue 2021 in order to bring together a panel of artists, creatives and communities from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to share artworks and generate dialogue on how the arts can be used to explore themes of language, identity and culture in relation to equality and rights and to imagine alternative ways of living and engaging with others in understanding, trust and peace on the island of Ireland and beyond.

Smashing Times are a resident Carmichael organisation. You can check out their site here. To keep up to date with the social media platforms, check out their Facebook here, and their Twitter here.

Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality is dedicated to the promotion, study and practice of the arts, human rights, climate justice and gender equality. Smashing Times is an international award-winning organisation working with artists, citizens and communities to create collaborative art practice in local, national, European and international settings.

Their mission is to lead the development of the arts to promote and advance equality and human rights and to connect citizens to the arts, human rights, climate justice and gender equality.

Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI) are inviting people to check out their upcoming webinar “Everything you wanted to know about disability but were afraid to ask!” which will take place via Zoom on Wednesday 5th May 3pm.

May 5th was designated by the European Network on Independent Living as European Day on Independent Living and this event is part of ILMI’s celebration of this date.

The webinar will be a unique opportunity for people to listen and informally learn about the social model of disability an how that informs the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Disabled activists will discuss the use of language and the role of Disabled Person’s Organisations (DPOs) and how the social model of disability can inform the implementation of the CRPD.

The ILMI are happy to be joined by Minister of State Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte TD who will open the webinar. Meanwhile. MC for the webinar will be Peter Kearns and will feature a short input from special guest Speaker, Maggie Cameron who is a freelance Disability Equality & Diversity Trainer with experience of developing Disabled Persons Organisations in Scotland.

This webinar is a unique opportunity for anyone who wants to listen directly to disabled activists and hear about the issues facing disabled people through an equality and human rights lens. Anyone with an interest in equality, human rights, community development, policy development and building an inclusive Ireland should attend to begin to explore how we collectively need to think about disability in Ireland.

They are inviting:

• Politicians,
• Policy makers,
• Public servants,
• Community Development Organisations,
• Trade unions,
• Equality and human rights organisations
• Local Area-based partnerships
• Disabled activists

The ILMI are asking everyone to to circulate among your colleagues and contacts who you think would benefit from listening in. To attend, please register via info@ilmi.ie by Tuesday 4th May at 12 noon.

Smashing Times are delighted to present an online panel discussion ‘Creative Voices for Diverse Narratives’ as part of the Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics.

The aim of the discussion is to support the telling of different stories and to build connections between diverse communities. Creative Voices for Diverse Narratives panel discussion takes place online on Monday 22 March 2021 at 7pm.

Panel members include Mary Moynihan, writer, director, theatre and film-maker and Artistic Director, Smashing Times; Noelle McAlinden, Visual Artist, Creative Advisor and Mental Health Campaigner, Curator and Cultural Broker; Richard Edgar, Author and Historian, Dave Randall, Musician and Writer and Dr Stephen Herron, Researcher, Academic, Cultural Anthropologist, and Community Relations Facilitator with Smashing Times.

This event is presented as part of Creative Connections; a cultural, arts-based project using creative processes of theatre, film and new digital technologies to promote reconciliation and positive community relations between people and traditions in Northern Ireland.

Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics is a non-profit charity, with no full-time staff or offices. Each March they organise a week-long series of events aimed at engaging people in political/cultural discussion and debate in the broadest sense. The festival seeks to cover a wide spectrum of issues including, but certainly not limited to, mainstream political debate.

The speakers for the event are diverse and hugely exciting for all those lucky enough to get a ticket for the online event. Mary Moynihan is a writer, Director, Theatre and Film-Maker, Artistic Director of Smashing Times.

Elsewhere, there is Noelle Mc Alinden; a Visual Artist, Creative Advisor and Mental Health Campaigner, Curator and Cultural Broker. Impressively, Noelle is a Creative Adviser, Curator, Arts Educationalist, a former Head of Art and Design in a Post-Primary school and Senior Lecturer for Arts at Fermanagh College of Further Education.

The panel will also include Richard Edgar is an Author and Historian based in Portadown. He has a keen interest in Genealogy and is also a regular contributor to Portadown Heritage Tours. There will Dave Randall; a London based musician and writer. He has toured the world playing guitar for Faithless, Dido, Sinead O’Connor and many others, and has released his own critically acclaimed albums under the name Slovo.

Last but not least there will be Dr Stephen Herron, a Researcher, Academic, Cultural Anthropologist, and Community Relations Facilitator with Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality Dr Herron is one of just several military anthropologists in the UK and Ireland.

Participation in the festival is open to all and while the main debates will not be party-political, groups and individuals are encouraged to debate those ‘difficult’ and contentious issues that normally don’t air in public discussion.

Smashing Times are a resident Carmichael organisation. A theatre company which focuses on promoting diversity within Ireland, their work bands the world together in the most positive sense. You can keep up date with all their work here.

Finally, you can follow their social media accounts too; their Facebook here, and their Twitter here.

CE Positions

Carmichael sponsors a Community Employment Scheme (CE) programme providing quality part-time staff across a wide range of disciplines in nonprofit, community and sporting organisations.

To take up a position on this programme you must be eligible for Community Employment.

Please contact your local Intreo Office for more details.

Position: Grounds Person

Sponsor: Oliver Plunkett’s GAA Club
Sub-Sponsor: Carmichael
Location: St. Oliver Plunkett’s GAA Club, Navan Road, Dublin 7

Download General Operative Maintenance Job Description

Position: Sales Assistant

Sponsor: Carmichael
Sub-Sponsor: Capel St Shop, Caring and Sharing Association
Location: Capel St Shop, Dublin 1

Download Sales Assistant Job Description

Position: Receptionist

Sponsor: Carmichael
Sub-Sponsor: St. Finbarr’s GAA Club
Location: 7 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra, Dublin 

Download Receptionist Job Description

Position: Support Worker

Sponsor: Carmichael
Sub Sponsor:        An Siol Community Development Project
Location: 7 Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra, Dublin 

Download Support Worker Job Description

Position: Housekeeping

Sponsor: Carmichael
Sub-Sponsor: Carmichael
Location: 4 Brunswick St N, Dublin, D07 RHA8

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Position: Caretaking Facilities

Sponsor: Carmichael
Sub-Sponsor: Carmichael
Location: 4 Brunswick St N, Dublin, D07 RHA8

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Position: Trainee Childcare Worker

Sponsor: Carmichael
Sub-Sponsor: Little Stars Creche
Location: Blackhall Place, Dublin 7

Download Trainee Childcare Worker Job Description