The not-for-profit sector has become more opaque, according to a report sponsored by the Community Foundation for Ireland, with the proportion of organisations filing abridged accounts jumping to 40% between 2015 and 2016.
Far from transparency in the charitable and social sector increasing, it has declined, say the authors 2into3, and compliance with the Statement of Recommended Practice standard (SORP) has stayed low with only 8% of entities conforming.
2into3 director Dennis O’Connor said: “The behaviours of the sector are actually contradicting the image which organisations are trying to portray around transparency and accountability. The only way to have a greater level of transparency is through action — organisations need to change their behaviours for the betterment of the sector as a whole.”
The CFI’s Niall O’Sullivan added: "The report is an important addition to our knowledge base about the community and voluntary sector in Ireland. Fundraising is very important element in the mix of overall funding and The Community Foundation for Ireland, as part of its a strategic backing of the sector, is delighted to be involved in supporting the publication of this latest edition of the research.”
Despite all that, and some damaging scandals in recent years, Irish people just go on giving — but not as much. Per capita giving in 2016 was €212, 40% lower than the UK total of €395 and almost 80% lower than the US total of €1,061.
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Comparisons between giving in New Zealand and in Ireland can be made due to the similarity in population and GDP, says the report. In New Zealand, per capita giving was €386 in 2014. Based on population, Norway are Ireland’s closest counterparts in Europe, with a lower rate of €180 per person.
The average cost to raise €1 of funding in 2016 was 31c. In overall terms, the Irish not-for-profit sector’s fundraised income was estimated to be €1 billion in 2016.
The full report is available here.
Photo: Report co-author Amy Power with Niall O' Sullivan (centre) and Dennis O'Connor. (Pic: Colm Mahady/Fennell Photography 2018)
