Law - Charity Law Trusteeship & Governance
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.
| Award Name | Certificate |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Law Society of Ireland |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Law Society of Ireland |
Duration
Delivery Method
Lectures and workshops on Fridays and Saturdays. Also available to view on demand.
Entry Requirements
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.
Further information
Start Date Friday 1 March 2024 at 10:00 AM
€1,725.00
Discounts
Members of the Wheel are eligible for a 10% discount off their fee.
Solicitors and Trainees
To pay online click on the 'Book Now' button, otherwise please complete one of the application forms, containing our bank details, in the Download section below and send it to diplomateam@lawsociety.ie, indicating in your cover email should you need an invoice to pay by EFT (Electronic Fund Transfer) or if you wish to pay by card over the phone.
Other Professionals
We welcome applications for this course from suitably qualified professionals. Your application must be approved before you can formally register on the course. To apply please email the following documents to diplomateam@lawsociety.ie :
A completed application form (see below)
Your Curriculum Vitae
A short cover letter setting out your relevant experience
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.
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
2,500-word written assignment (85%) and continuous assessment (15%)
CPD Hours
The number of hours of CPD that you may claim in relation to this course will depend on the way in which you access each of the individual sessions. For further information and the CPD booklet, see https://www.lawsociety.ie/Solicitors/rules-legislation/CPD-Scheme
Programme objectives
On completion of this training programme, participants will have attained deep knowledge and insight into the following:
Establishing a charity: legal structures & registration requirements;
Governance codes & regulatory requirements;
Managing risk;
Managing finances;
Board responsibilities;
Fundraising codes & procurement;
Employment law, HR and volunteer policies;
Keeping on top of data protection issues.
Course Leader: Suzanne Crilly, Solicitor, Course Leader: s.crilly@lawsociety.ie