Target Audience
Are you a Board member of a voluntary or community group? Are you unsure of what is expected of you? Do you want to ensure your organisation is governed in accordance with good practice?
Outline
This session will demystify Board members' roles and responsibilities and give you tools to enhance your contribution and the effectiveness of your Board. It outlines the purpose of the board as a whole in relation to governance and management. We then examine the specific roles of individual board members and in particular, their legal responsibilities and duties under the Charities Act (2009) and the Companies Act (2014). The workshop will finish with a discussion on typical problems arising within boards and some practical solutions to deal with them.
Methodology
Delivered virtually via Zoom.
Instructor
Marian Barnard
Marian has been on Carmichael’s panel since 2019 developing and delivering scheduled and bespoke training on governance for the not-for-profit sector. She also provides consultancy to a wide variety of not-for-profits including governance assessments, board effectiveness reviews, policy and strategy development and risk management systems.
Marian Barnard began her career in the pharmaceutical industry in quality management, where she learned early the importance of compliance and internal controls in any industry. This was compounded by 10 years as a director in her local credit union during significant and intense amendments to the prudential requirements of governance in the credit union sector (enacted into law in 2012). This provided Marian with a strong understanding of the evolution and importance of good governance in not-for-profit organisations, as well as the inevitable challenges!
Marian has continued her involvement in the credit union and as training liaison officer for the board and volunteers, she designs, delivers and co-ordinates training on governance, the role of the board, strategy, and other related topics.
In her current role as CEO of a charity, Anew Support Services, which supports pregnant women experiencing homelessness, Marian is actively involved in implementing the governance code, evaluating risk, developing, and writing strategy as well as an array of compliance requirements.
Marian served 8 years on the council of Treoir, a charity for unmarried parents, and she is Treasurer of the National Infertility Support Group (NISIG). Marian has a Masters in Cooperative and Social Enterprise, a Certificate in Charity Law, and a degree in Biochemistry.
Outcomes
By the end of the course participants will be able to:
- Describe the purpose of their board and its responsibilities
- Identify the different roles of board members
- Understand the legal duties under the Companies Act 2014 and the Charities Act 2009
- Appreciate the different roles of the board and staff and how to ensure an effective working relationship is in place
- Understand the importance and benefit of regular board evaluation
- Have had an overview of the Charities Governance Code
Carmichael’s Spring/Summer 2025 Scheduled Training Programme is kindly sponsored by BoardEffect.
BoardEffect is part of Diligent, the leader in modern governance. BoardEffect delivers an agile board management solution optimised for governance leaders of nonprofits, higher education institutions, community healthcare organisations, and credit unions with the right tools, analytics, and insights to drive more efficient, transparent, and secure governance.
Fees
| €80 | Nonprofit Organisation |
| €70 | Carmichael Resident Organisation |
| €90 | Statutory Organisation |
| €90 | Corporate Organisation |
Testimonials
Marian was a very strong trainer - a nice combination of expertise and facilitation skills.
All questions answered and Marian has a lovely way of presenting.
Very experienced presenter who shared lots of examples.
Broad content which was informative.
Clear and transparent presentation, good example and answering specific questions.