Philanthropy as a Catalyst for Inclusion in Sports
2into3 continues to grow its team with the appointment of sector stalwart Ivan Cooper, adding Policy and Advocacy to its Advisory Services.
Key Takeaways on Nonprofit CEO Succession Planning and Executive Transition
As Ireland’s nonprofit sector continues to adapt to new challenges and growing societal needs, values-based leadership is fundamental to fostering organisational resilience, effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
Nonprofit Talent Trends Q3: Senior Recruitment Reflecting Continued Caution Amid Funding Pressures?
Our latest quarterly analysis of senior-level recruitment in the Irish nonprofit sector points to a marked slowdown compared to the same period last year. Across the main job platforms we track, advertised management-level opportunities declined from 280 roles in Q3 2024 to 199 roles in Q3 2025, a year-on-year decrease of 29%.
The volume of organisations advertising has also decreased, with 157 organisations recruiting in Q3 2025, down 19% from 193 in Q3 2024. This cooling likely reflects continued caution amid funding pressures, resulting in a recalibration of organisational priorities.
Activity by Subsector
Consistent with previous quarters, several organisations advertised vacancies anonymously. Of the 157 organisations tracked, 15 were not identifiable, resulting in the below breakdown of 142 known organisations by subsector.
Roles by Subsector:
Social Services remains the largest subsector for senior recruitment, representing 32% of known advertising organisations. This underscores the continued priority placed on leadership within frontline service delivery, particularly as organisations address complex social and community challenges.
Health and Local Development & Housing also continue to be key recruitment areas, accounting for 15% and 18% respectively. Despite fewer advertised roles year-on-year, both maintain consistent organisational presence, suggesting sustained structural demand tied to national needs in healthcare, housing and local development.
Recreation & Sport, compromising 9% of identifiable organisations, continues its upward trajectory. Growth in this area reflects the increasing professionalisation of sport leadership and the sector’s broader contribution to wellbeing and community cohesion.
Overall, hiring continues to concentrate within service-oriented areas where demand for experienced leadership remains strongest.
Activity by Role Function
The most notable development in Q3 2025 is the sharp rise in CEO recruitment, which increased from 6% of roles in Q3 2024 to 14% in Q3 2025. It is plausible to hypothesise that this significant wave of executive movement across the sector may be linked to the conclusion of three-to-five-year strategic cycles that organisations introduced following the pandemic. With post-Covid plans coming to an end, this may have initiated leadership renewal and succession planning, marking a period of strategic transition for many nonprofits.
Service Delivery & Operational Management remains the dominant function, accounting for half of all roles advertised, though this is a decrease from 59% last year. The reduction reflects the overall cooling of recruitment activity rather than a drop in demand for operational leadership, as programme delivery continues to be at the heart of non-profit work.
In contrast, Fundraising & Business Development roles declined from 15% to 12%, suggesting a pause after previous growth periods and possibly a consolidation of income generation capacity.
Modest increases in Finance (from 11% to 13%), HR (from 3% to 5%) and Communications & Marketing (from 4% to 6%) highlight a growing focus on internal capability and resilience. Areas such as financial management, people leadership and stakeholder engagement are increasingly viewed as central to organisational stability in a more complex operating environment.
Overall, the data points to a sector rebalancing its leadership structures, with renewed emphasis on executive oversight and strategic direction.
Activity by Income Type
Excluding the 37 organisations that did not disclose income, of the 120 organisations with publicly available income bands:
- 19% (23 organisations) reported annual income less than €1 million
- 46% (55 organisations) reported annual income of between €1 million and €10 million
- 35% (42 organisations) reported annual income more than €10 million
This distribution reflects a familiar trend – mid to large organisations dominate senior-level recruitment, suggesting they retain the capacity to continue investing in leadership talent even as overall activity cools.
Key Observations
Q3 2025 indicates a clear softening in senior recruitment across the nonprofit sector versus last year, with fewer roles and organisations active compared to last year. Larger organisations continue to drive most recruitment activity, reflecting their stronger capacity to sustain leadership investment despite a more uncertain funding environment.
While overall activity has eased, the demand that remains for particular skillsets is more deliberate and strategic in focus. The marked rise in CEO appointments signals a period of strategic transition across the sector, as organisations place greater emphasis on leadership renewal and long-term planning to ensure they are well positioned for the next phase of growth and impact.
Organisations are balancing the need to maintain service delivery with renewed emphasis on governance, financial resilience and leadership capability. This reflects a sector shifting from expansion to consolidation, strengthening its foundations to navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain environment.
Get in Touch
Our Talent Management Team monitors senior hiring across the nonprofit sector and publishes quarterly insights. To explore previous Nonprofit Talent Trends Reports, visit our Talent Insights page. For more information, contact Shannon Barrett, Head of Talent Services, at Shannon.barrett@2into3.com.
Building a Strategic Funding Foundation
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As Ireland’s nonprofit sector continues to adapt to new challenges and growing societal needs, values-based leadership is fundamental to fostering organisational resilience, effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
2into3 CEO Featured in The Journal on NGO Funding and Transparency
2into3 continues to grow its team with the appointment of sector stalwart Ivan Cooper, adding Policy and Advocacy to its Advisory Services.
Federation of Irish Sport Launches Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2026
The Federation of Irish Sport, the voice of Irish sport, is calling for a decisive Budget 2026 commitment from the Government to secure the role of sport in Ireland as a driver of health, community, and economic growth.
In its 2026 Pre-Budget submission, the Federation set out the case for sustainable investment to safeguard and grow the sector. The primary Ask from the Government is for a 10% Compound Increase in Core Funding from 2025-2028. The National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) are the engines of citizens’ engagement with and continued participation in sport. A multi-annual increase in Core Funding will provide stability and financial clarity for NGBs and LSPs to plan for long-term development. This will have a direct impact on improving public health and wellbeing and fostering social inclusion, while also driving economic growth and increased tax revenues.
The second key Ask for Sport in Budget 2026 is for a government commitment to research and publish a report on an additional 1% betting levy for sport. The creation of an additional 1% levy would yield approximately €40-50 million extra per annum for sports. The Federation is calling on the Government to undertake a formal assessment of the proposed additional 1% levy, with a view to designating the additional revenue specifically for participation and community sport.
Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, emphasised the significance of this funding: “The Government has the power to make a meaningful impact on the sports sector in Ireland by recognising Sport’s social, health, and economic value and to prioritise core funding for long term impact. Return on investment is clear: for every €100 invested in sport the return is €209. While investment by Government in Sport and Physical Activity has increased significantly over the lifetime of the National Sports Policy, it is time for sport funding in Ireland to be in line with our European counterparts and match the EU average. With the current National Sports Policy in its final two years, we want Government to recognise Sport as a public good within national policy going forwards. Backing sport means backing communities all over the country.”
About the Federation of Irish Sport
The Federation of Irish Sport was established in April 2002 by Ireland’s national sporting organisations to provide leadership, coordination, and advocacy on key issues, representing their interests to the government and relevant agencies. Now in its 21st year, the Federation represents over 110 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), representing more than 13,000 sports clubs across Ireland.
The Federation’s mission is to empower its members to maximise the impact of sport, recreation, and physical activity for the benefit of society. Sport is not only essential for Ireland’s health and wellbeing but also contributes significantly to the economy, education, tourism, and the nation’s global reputation.
For media inquiries, please contact: Clare Louise O’Donoghue, Head of Commercial & Marketing, Federation of Irish Sport clarelouise.odonoghue@irishsport.ie, mobile: 0860437887, website: www.irishsport.ie.
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