Law - Charity Law Trusteeship & Governance

Programme structure and approach to learning
The charity sector in Ireland faced many challenges due to the impact of Covid-19, in particular the effect it had on fundraising and service continuity. Additionally, the establishment of the Charities Regulator, increasing regulatory & funding requirements (including the introduction in late 2018 of the Regulator’s Charities Governance Code), and developments on the horizon for the sector in terms of the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2022 herald a period of significant changes to the sector in Ireland.

This course, which represents a collaboration between the Law Society of Ireland and The Wheel, Ireland’s national charity association, provides practitioners and those working in charitable, social enterprise and community organisations with an overview of the law and best practice in the relevant areas. The course has a very practical emphasis and will equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to maintain integrity and uphold standards.

Modules
The Certificate in Charity Law, Trusteeship and Governance programme is based on the following module scheme and covers key themes as listed below:

Module 1: Introduction
Recent trends in the charity sector in Ireland,
Regulation of charities and the Charities Act 2009,
The legal framework & legal structures for charities.
Module 2: Finance & Fundraising
Legislative framework for fundraising,
Regulation of & best practice for fundraising,
Financial reporting: Statutory requirements,
Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP).
Module 3: Governance
Charities Regulator’s Charities Governance Code,
Implementation and related issues,
Risk assessments and managing risk.
Module 4: Strategy and management
Management, human resource and volunteer policies,
Charities & corporate governance,
Data protection issues,
Employment law,
Outcomes approach,
Procurement and tendering.
Our learning approach and the use of an online forum ensure that attendees can learn both from lecturers and from the knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer aspect that is encouraged in interactive sessions.

Workshops
Workshops are interactive sessions that focus on group problem-solving and are designed to encourage candidates to engage in problem-solving scenario questions with a tutor who has specialised knowledge of the subject area.

Workshop Title Date Time
1 Charities Governance Code 2 March 2024 10am
2 Planning a fundraising campaign 12 April 2024 9.30am
3 Financial reporting requirements of the Charities Act, introducing Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) 13 April 2024 10am
4 Working for outcomes and panel discussion 17 May 2024 9.30am

Who should attend?
The course will appeal to those in practice who advise charitable organisations. It will also appeal to those working in the sector or those who hold positions on boards of organisations or in a management capacity. We invite lawyers and individuals involved with the sector to apply.

If you are not a qualified solicitor, trainee, or barrister, please apply with a cover letter and CV for approval to attend the course. Please note, for non-members this course is subject to a supplemental fee of €175 bringing the total course fee to €1,900. No fees are required prior to approval.

The closing date for applications for this course is 16 February 2024.

Delivery Method
Lectures and workshops on Fridays and Saturdays. Also available to view on demand.

Start Date Friday 1 March 2024 at 10:00 AM