2into3 nonprofit Talent recruitment trend

Q3 2024 Nonprofit Talent Trends

Our latest analysis of recruitment activity in the Irish nonprofit sector continues to evidence an increase in the number of senior management opportunities being advertised. Through assessment of a range of websites and job platforms, 2into3 has identified an 11% increase in senior-level management roles from Q3 2023 to Q3 2024, with the number of job postings catalogued rising from 253 to 280.

Similarly, the number of organisations advertising roles has grown by 7%, from the previous year’s 181 to this quarter’s 193. This suggests a positive hiring trend, with more roles being offered and more organisations participating in the job market.

Non-profit Talent Trends

 

 

Activity by Subsector

In Q3 2024, alike previous quarters, the trend of organisations advertising roles anonymously remains present. As 25 of the 193 organisations who advertised were anonymous, the below breakdown of roles by subsector is based on 168 known organisations.

 

 

Graph showing the breakdown by subsector

 

Roles by Subsector

Social Services stand out as the largest subsector, making up 32% of the breakdown by organisation; indicating that this subsector remains the most dominant in hiring.

 

Whilst Local Development & Housing still holds a significant portion of the market, there has been a decrease of 36% from the 53 roles tracked in Q3 2023. This decrease in roles versus last year has been evident throughout 2024, with 40 roles being tracked in Q1, and 27 in Q2. This may be an indication that organisations in the Local Development and Housing sector, who have experienced rapid growth in the last number of years, have sufficiently built out and retained their teams thus reducing the need for recruitment drives.

 

Health continues to show strong growth, with a 37% increase in job postings compared to the previous year’s figures, highlighting an expanding need for talent in this subsector.

There is also an evident upward trend in the subsectors of Environment, Arts, Culture & Media and Professional & Vocational. The Arts, Culture & Media subsector shows the highest percentage increase in roles (from 1 to 6 roles, a 500% increase since Q3 2023), signalling an unexpected surge in demand.

 

Our analysis also shows that the Environment subsector has experienced significant growth, with an increase of 233% in roles since Q3 2023 (from 3 to 10 roles) which could indicate a rising investment in tackling issues such as sustainability. This growth is further evidenced by the fact 11 roles were tracked in Q2 2024 versus only 4 tracked in Q2 2023.

 

 

Activity by Role type

Activity by Role Type

The above graph outlines the most in-demand skills appear to be Service Delivery & Operational Management, with a significant jump from 40% of roles recorded in Q3 2023 to 59% of roles recorded in Q3 2024.

Data extracted from LinkedIn Talent Insights indicate that the median tenure for professionals in Fundraising & Business Development roles in the Irish non-profit sector is approximately 1.3 years. Our data demonstrates that demand for skillsets relevant to fundraising and business development has increased since Q3 2023 which may indicate that high attrition rates have resulted in steady demand for individuals with this skillset.

It is apparent from examining the graph and the data that demand for CEO/

Executive Director’s has remained static since Q3 2023, while there has been a decrease in demand for Communications & Marketing roles (down from 9% to 4%) and Finance roles (down from 18% to 11%). As communications and finance are both essential role functions, it is plausible to infer from this data that organisations have focussed on improving staff retention resulting in reduced demand for these skillsets in this quarter, as a result.

 

 

Activity by Income Type

Excluding those where such information was not available, either because the role was posted anonymously or the organisation does not disclose their income; noteworthy findings were made regarding the income of 144 known organisations. 44 (31%) organisations have an annual income of over €10 million. 53 (37%) organisations have an annual income of between €1 million to 10 million. 47 (33%) organisations have an annual income of less than €1 million.

 

Observations

The non-profit market has remained highly active in Q3 2024, with growth in numbers of both job postings and organisations versus the same quarter last year, but also Q2 2024. 284 roles were tracked last quarter (Q2 2024), which closely aligns with the 280 roles recorded this quarter.

Comparing the figures of this quarter to Q2 and even Q1 of this year, where we tracked 287 roles, it is clear the number of roles advertised have stayed consistent throughout 2024 so far and that recruitment activity did not slow down significantly over the summer period, despite seasonal expectations.

 

Get in Touch

Our Talent team record senior role activity in the nonprofit sector, producing quarterly findings. If you’d like to discuss these findings further, please contact our Head of Talent Services, Shannon Barrett at shannon.barrett@2into3.com. For more information on our Nonprofit Talent Trends, visit here.

 

Sports Capital Grant Allocation 2023

Celebrating €8.6 million secured in Community Sport Facilities Fund

We are thrilled to announce that our clients have successfully secured €8.6 million in the recent Community Sports Facilities Fund. This is an average grant of €179,000 per application.

 

“We’re delighted to have supported a range of organisations in this round – a massive congratulations to our clients! These grants will enable a wide range of communities to enhance their facilities and provide vital opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in sports and physical activity. We are excited to see the positive impact these projects will have on local communities.”

– Patricia Keenan, Director of Funding, 2into3.

 

Largest-ever funding announced for Sport Facilities

Ministers Martin and Byrne announced €230m in grants for sports clubs and facilities under phase 2 of Community Sport Facilities Fund (formerly Sports Capital and Equipment Programme). Over a quarter of a billion allocated to community sports clubs and facilities in 2024 with a total investment of €256m. This is a record allocation which will facilitate the largest-ever investment in sports facilities in communities across Ireland. For a full breakdown of allocations, visit the official government page here.

 

Speaking at the announcement in Ringsend today, Minister Martin said:

“Sport is vital to our sense of togetherness and community, from local clubs to professional and high-performance teams and athletes. Each and every one of these grants represents a project that will create a new or improved opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in sport to the best of their ability. Clubs will be better able to serve their communities with the help of this fund. For example 194 clubs are getting funding to install solar panels, 317 clubs are getting funding for LED floodlights and 966 projects will include improvements to pitches.

 

“These vital improvements and new facilities will add to the equipment allocations announced earlier this year to ensure that more people than ever have access to the sports they love in their local areas.”

 

Learn More

If you’re interested in learning more about the Community Sport Facilities Fund (previously Sports Capital and Equipment Programme) visit our webpage.

From our experience, successful applications are strategic and are adequately prepared for their application in advance. If you’re interested in preparing the best Community Sport Facilities Fund application and require our assistance, contact Patricia Keenan for more information on 086 065 7347, or visit our webpage here.

Federation of Irish Sport

Federation of Irish Sport Launches Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2025

Double Olympic gold medallist Fintan McCarthy joined our partners, Federation of Ireland Sport, along with National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships from across Ireland in urgently calling for greater investment in Irish sport in Budget 2025. McCarthy was the special guest of the Federation of Irish Sport at the launch of its Pre-Budget Submission for Budget 2025, an event attended by elected representatives of Dáil Éireann, Senators, and members of the Federation, which represents 81 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and 29 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs).

The Federation has put forward three key “Asks” of the government, with the primary request being for a multi-annual increase in core funding for NGBs and LSPs. Core funding is the heart sporting bodies in Ireland, enabling the creation of programmes and pathways that identify, nurture, and support the sporting heroes of tomorrow. Additional calls for taxation reform and an increase in the betting levy comprise the two other key Asks.

 

Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport, emphasised the significance of this funding: “Our overall ask in relation to the upcoming budget is for government to increase funding for the core activities which build the base of sport and physical activity in Ireland. We realise that there is much to be financed across many areas in relation to Budget2025, we would however respectfully suggest that additional funding for sport might be found through the proposed changes to taxation under Action 3.7 and an increase in the betting levy for Sport.”

Since the launch of the National Sports Policy in 2018, significant progress has been made in high performance and sports capital funding. However, core funding for NGBs and LSPs, which is critical for the long-term development of grassroots sport, has lagged behind/not matched/has been eroded by inflation and rising costs. This funding is essential for building programmes, retaining key personnel, and attracting quality coaches and staff.

By adopting a multi-annual funding model, the Federation argues, the government would provide the certainty needed to plan strategically and deliver meaningful long-term outcomes. “Core funding is used not only to maintain the foundation of these organisations but to strengthen it,” O’Connor added. “All sport in this country starts with the NGBs and LSPs. They build the programmes and nurture the participants who go on to perform at the highest levels on the world stage.”

Mary O’Connor further highlighted the potential of taxation reform: “As we have mentioned previously in our submissions, we believe that changes could be made in existing legislation to the benefit of sport. We also believe that a 1% rise in the betting tax could produce up to €40 million, which could beneficially invest in sport and in programmes aimed at tackling the problems of gambling addiction.”

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.

ESG Social Impact

Achieving the ‘S’ in ESG: Why is it important?

With growing consumer demand for ethical business practices and increasing regulatory pressures, ESG principles are not just a compliance requirement – but a strategic approach to sustainability and social impact. In this blog, we outline the importance of a robust ESG strategy and how to achieve the Social (S) component.

What is ESG?

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. These are called pillars in ESG frameworks and represent the 3 key areas that companies are expected to report in.

Environmental

This includes efforts to reduce carbon footprints, manage waste responsibly, and adopt renewable energy sources. Companies are assessed on their environmental sustainability practices, and those failing to meet expectations may face reputational and financial risks.

Social

This focuses on how companies manage relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and communities. It includes labour practices, diversity and inclusion, community engagement, and broader impact on society.

Governance

This refers to the internal system of practices, controls, and procedures a company adopts to govern itself, make effective decisions, comply with legal standards, and meet the needs of external stakeholders. Good governance practices include transparent reporting, ethical leadership, and accountability.

 

The Importance of a robust ESG Strategy

Ireland has seen a significant shift in how businesses approach ESG reporting, largely influenced by European Union directives. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) has now been implemented in Irish law through the European Union (Corporate Sustainability Reporting) Regulations, 2024 which came into effect on 6th July.

Furthermore, Irish consumers are increasingly choosing to support organisations which align with their values. Companies that demonstrate a commitment to environmental, social and governance responsibility are more likely to attract and retain customers, particularly in a competitive market.

Additionally, investors are now factoring ESG criteria into their decision-making processes. Sustainable investing is becoming increasingly popular, and companies with strong ESG performance are more likely to secure funding. Therefore, focusing on a robust ESG Strategy is critical to the future development and overall success of your organisation.

Achieving the ‘S’ in your ESG Strategy

The Social (S) in ESG is a critical component – strong social impact can enhance reputation, attract investment, boost employee morale, and mitigate risks. Furthermore, the Social (S) element of your ESG Strategy is more likely to be effective when strategically developed. A robust Social Impact Strategy plays a critical role in supporting businesses to achieve their broader ESG objectives.

Many organisations require external support to develop the Social (S) component of their ESG Strategy. At 2into3, we partner with your organisation, working at Board and staff level – engaging employees and members of the community to ensure that your Social Impact Strategy is a living document, owned by your organisation. By the end of this process, you will have a defined Strategy that will enable your business to create meaningful change, build stronger relationships with stakeholders and contribute positively to your community.

 

Taking the first step

If you’d like to enhance the ‘S’ in your ESG Strategy, get in touch with our Director of Advisory Services, Sheena Horgan at sheena.horgan@2into3.com to explore how we can provide guidance and support. For more information on our ESG service, visit here.

 

Olympics Ireland Homecoming 2024

Ireland’s 2024 Olympics Success – Are we ready to capitalise?

Paris 2024 is being widely commended as Ireland’s most successful Olympics. By many measures: number of medals – gold in particular; number of people attending the Team Ireland GPO homecoming; television viewing metrics; this is undeniable.

So how does the Irish sports system position itself strategically to make the most of this success, and more importantly, to build on it?

 

How do you measure success?

The many medal table formats that have been flashed across news outlets globally in recent weeks illustrate the point, “it depends how you measure it”.

We’ve seen multiple versions sliced and diced in terms of number of gold medals (the official table), total number of medals, medals per capita, medals per €1m invested etc. An emerging approach is the one presented at OlympicNationalRankings.com which uses probability ranking and adjusts for population size to address some of the shortcomings of the official medal table ranking method.

Ireland fares well on most of these measures. Not surprisingly, as the Games debrief continues, different nations will undoubtedly favour different measurement methods – likely those that present them in the best light. However, medals are only the tip of the iceberg.

 

Measurement beyond medals

Governments and other funders make huge investments into competing at the Games. The general motivations for funding sport are to build a sense of national pride and position the country within upper echelons internationally, but perhaps the most often emphasised aspiration is to inspire increased participation in sport. Particularly, among the younger population.

Unfortunately, measuring the direct effect of the Games on sports participation rates isn’t as immediate or straightforward a task as counting the amount of bling around the necks of a nation’s athletes. Future editions of the Irish Sports Monitor may give an indication of whether an uplift in participation is achieved following the Games period. Ahead of this, it’s worth asking the question: if this is a key factor in why we invest so heavily in sport – are we ready and positioned to deliver on this aspiration?

 

Are we ready to deliver on sporting ambitions?

A current promotion that is offering U16s the opportunity to swim for free at a particular swimming complex for the month of August (fair play Swim Ireland, Dublin City Council and the North-East Inner-City Initiative) following the success of Ireland’s swimmers at Paris 2024 has me thinking. It is likely the case in many households all over Ireland there are currently young girls and boys of all ages asking their parents: “can I try the sport I just saw an Irish athlete excel in at Paris 2024?” In many cases, the answer is “no”.

 

The facility challenge

To try canoe slalom (Liam Jagou was 7th) and indoor track cycling (Lara Gillespie was 10th) currently requires a trip abroad – and beyond these unique facility examples, it is worth noting that many Irish towns and regions are outside reasonable proximity to a 50m swimming pool or running track to accommodate potential participants, let alone to provide for those with emerging talent. Factor in the tyranny of Irish weather, with an additional number of existing facilities rendered unusable for significant parts of the year . This leaves a situation where parents are forced to travel considerable distances or the children, and hence the wider sports system, miss out on the benefits.

However, it’s not just facilities. Sports programmes and activities need to be designed to context and delivered by suitably qualified personnel to ensure participants are welcome, safe and most importantly, that they enjoy themselves and a number stay involved. For many NGBs, despite delivering a lot with a little, capacity (staff and volunteers) is currently in short supply and an aspiration to develop a greater level of activity and integration between the high performance, pathways and participation functions is not matched with the human and fiscal resources to effectively bring this to fruition.

 

How do we address these shortages?

There are several position statements within the 2018-2027 National Sports Policy that speak to these challenges, and indeed recent Sports Capital Grant and Large-Scale Sporting Infrastructure Funding rounds will address these shortages to a certain extent. It is encouraging to see government acknowledge this greater need at the culmination of Paris 2024, with the promise of additional high-performance funding for the LA 2028 cycle.

However, if the strategic aspiration here goes deeper than winning medals, an accompanying increased systematic (pun intended) investment in other component parts of the sport participation landscape, be it via government and/or the private sector is also required. A published sport-by-sport stocktake of “what is” vs “what should be”, initially in terms of the two big ticket items: facilities and workforce, would be a good place to start.

 

What’s next for the Irish Sports System?

The Irish sports system’s Paris 2024 success is not unlike a bigger picture version of the breakthrough performances of swimmer Mona McSharry at the 2017 Junior World Swimming Championships. It is an absolutely fantastic result worthy of significant celebration and right now we should revel in it. More importantly though, is what it means for the future. It’s an exciting indication there is much, much more that can be achieved if we are clear on future targets and measures; we are prepared to strategically analyse our position, further grow the resources invested in sport and work hard to deploy them to maximum effect.

 

Written by Matt McKerrow, Associate Consultant, 2into3: matt.mckerrow@2into3.com. For more information on our Sports Insights, visit here.

Shannon Barrett 2into3

Welcoming Shannon Barrett as Head of Talent Management Services

We’re delighted to announce that Shannon Barrett has rejoined 2into3 as our new Head of Talent Management Services. Shannon initially joined 2into3 as an Assistant Recruiter on the For Purpose Graduate Programme in 2021, before being promoted to Recruitment Coordinator in 2022 and Recruitment Consultant in 2023. 

In her previous role as Recruitment Consultant, Shannon made significant contributions to our Talent Management team. Shannon actively supported the continuous development of our recruitment process and placed senior leaders in a variety of social impact roles, from Chief Executive Officers to Fundraising, Service Management, Housing Specific roles, IT, Finance, Advocacy and Operational professionals. 

We’re confident that Shannon’s sectoral expertise and leadership will strengthen our commitment to placing successful candidates within a range of social impact organisations.

 

Get in Touch

Our Talent Management team works with organisations to ensure that our carefully selected candidates succeed within their new roles. We believe that when a candidate is successful in their role, it allows the organisation to succeed in its mission.

In the last 12 months, 2into3 successfully filled 31 roles for a range of social impact organisations. For examples of our work, visit here.

If you have any queries, or would like to have a chat with Shannon directly, please contact her at shannon.barrett@2into3.com.

For more information on our Talent Management Services, visit our webpage. 

2into3 nonprofit Talent recruitment trend

Q2 2024 Nonprofit Talent Trends 

The latest snapshot of senior recruitment activity in the Irish nonprofit sector shows a notable increase in the number of senior management opportunities being advertised. There was a total of 284 senior level roles identified by 2into3’s analysis of the market in Q2 2024, which is an increase of approximately 30% from 219 roles in Q2 2023. This shows a return to the scale of roles identified in prior years such as the 270 roles identified in Q2 of 2022.  

 The number of organisations actively recruiting this quarter rose by 17% compared to the previous year, rising from 168 to 197. 

Q2 2024 Nonprofit Talent Trends 2into3

 

 

Activity by Subsector

As 19 of the 197 organisations who advertised were anonymous, the below breakdown of roles by subsector is based on 178 organisations.  

Alike Q2 2023, Social Services organisations represented the largest subsector in terms of activity, however the number of roles has increased, constituting 36% of the breakdown compared to a previous 30%. With the increase in activity of Social Services organisations, we can see a small decline in the following biggest subsectors; Health (15%) and Local Development & Housing (12%).  

 

 

Q2 2024 Nonprofit Talent Trends 2into3

Activity by Role Type

Service Delivery & Operational Management roles were by far the most advertised in Q2 2024, with 142 of the roles, significantly ahead of the second most popular, Finance (49) and Fundraising & Business Development (27). It is interesting to note the jump in finance roles this quarter compared to Q2 2023. This could indicate more organisations making a shift toward in-house financial management, rather than outsourcing. 

Q2 2024 Nonprofit Talent Trends 2into3

 

 

The above graph outlines growth in the areas of Service Delivery & Operational Management, Communications, HR and Finance this quarter compared to Q2 2023. However, it also indicates decline compared to last year’s findings in the areas of Fundraising & Business Development, CEO/ Executive Director roles and Administration, Strategy & Governance. 

 

Activity by Income Type

Where such information was available, either because the role was posted anonymously or the organisation does not disclose their income, noteworthy findings were made regarding the income of 166 named organisations. 47 (28%) organisations have less than €1 million in annual income, 74 (45%) have an annual income of between €1 million to €10 million and 45 (27%) have an annual income of over €10 million.  

 

Role Functions

When looking at the types of roles being advertised, there was a certain level of consistency with Q2 2023 in percentage terms, with a few exceptions. 

 

Observations

The sector remains active and there continues to be an increasing demand for talent. Through our analysis, we can an see a growing number of recruitment services being used in the nonprofit sector and we can also see a drop in CEO roles compared to previous findings. As role demands to fluctuate and the level of anonymous roles continue to play a significant part of the data we capture, the non-profit sector remains an interesting study filled with curious developments. 

 

Get in touch

Our Talent Management Team records senior role activity in the nonprofit sector, producing quarterly findings. For more information on our Nonprofit Talent Trends, visit here , or contact Dennis O’Connor at dennis@2into3.com. 

Data fundraising decision making

How To Maximise Your Impact With Data-Driven Fundraising

Resources are often stretched within fundraising teams and the idea of investing in data analysis may not be at the top of your priority list.

However, according to the National Philanthropy Policy 2024-2028 Section 3.2. Objective 2, nonprofits should aim, “to activate strategies for the creation, collection and utilisation of data and research to inform and guide decision-making in philanthropy, contributing to building an evidence base of needs.”

Contributing to data collection is not only useful for the future of the sector, it is also extremely useful for unlocking more strategic, impactful, and ultimately, more successful fundraising approaches within your organisation.

Here’s how you can use data to support and empower your fundraising decision making:

 

Understanding Your Donors

Data analysis provides invaluable insights into your donor base. You can identify trends in giving behaviour, segment donors based on demographics and interests, and personalise outreach efforts.

Fundraising teams can tailor their message to resonate with a specific donor segment known to support environmental causes, or to identify lapsed donors who might be re-engaged with the right approach.

Optimising Campaign Performance

Data allows you to track the effectiveness of your fundraising campaigns in real-time. You can see which channels (email, social media, direct mail) generate the most donations, what messaging resonates best, and where to allocate resources for maximum impact. Your campaign performance can highlight where you need to focus your efforts – is it within the channels you currently use, or do you need to explore new options?

Making Informed Predictions

Furthermore, data can be used to predict future giving trends. By analysing past donation patterns, you can identify potential high-value donors, forecast fundraising goals more accurately, and make strategic decisions about resource allocation.

Measuring Impact and Securing Funding

Data storytelling is a powerful tool for demonstrating the impact of your organisation’s work. By translating your achievements into quantifiable metrics such as a Social Impact Report, you can create compelling reports for donors and grant makers, increasing your chances of securing funding, such as developing a corporate partnership.

 

How can we improve our data collation?

You don’t need a large budget to improve how you’re tracking and using your data. Here are some cost-effective steps your fundraising team can take:

  1. Identify data sources: Start with the information you already have – collate donor records, peer analysis, website analytics, and social media engagement metrics using Excel, or other data analytics platforms such as Tableau. Organise your data into a digestible format which can be easily used for future analysis and decision making on a quarterly, bi-annually or annual basis.
  2. Subscribe to the Irish Giving Index: if you would like to gain valuable insights into your inbox, consider subscribing to the Irish Giving Index – the only nonprofit sector tool which enables you to benchmark your fundraising performance against your relevant subsector and organisations of the same fundraised income. Through sharing your data with our experienced team, we do the analysis for you, leaving your team to focus on your own projects. Furthermore, you’re also actively contributing to improved data collaboration within the sector and fulfilling Section 3.2. Objective 2 of the National Philanthropy Policy 2024-2028. Find out more about the Irish Giving Index here.

 

Data in the Sector: Concluding Thoughts

As stated in the National Philanthropy Policy 2024-2028, “Ireland currently lacks a centre of excellence for the creation of philanthropic knowledge… Robust knowledge and effective measurement are central components to drive change. To advance and grow philanthropy, we need to build baseline information to understand what is needed, what change could look like and to effectively measure what is being achieved over time. Lack of robust independent trend data is a missed opportunity for informed and compelling policy decisions.”

Furthermore, data is a powerful tool that can empower nonprofit organisations to make smarter fundraising decisions. By leveraging data, you can optimise your approach, improve efficiency, and ultimately, raise more funds to further your mission.

Interested in finding out more, or subscribing to the Irish Giving Index? Visit our website or contact our Head of Fundraising Advisory Practice, Rob Foley at rob.foley@2into3.com.

2into3 Advisory Services

5 Reasons to Conduct a Board Effectiveness Review

What comes to mind when you hear the word “review”? If you think of criticism, judgement, or inspection, you might be approaching it the wrong way. A well-conducted Board effectiveness review provides numerous benefits for both your Board and your organisation, and should be seen as a constructive process instead of a fault-finding one.

Let’s look at five reasons your Board should consider conducting a Board effectiveness review.

1. Leveraging the strengths on your Board

Boards are composed of experts in their respective fields. However, in some cases, the skillsets and experience of individual Board members may not be fully recognised and utilised. A strengths-based Board effectiveness review allows you to map the skills and expertise on your Board and ensure they’re being maximised. When Board members engage in tasks that match their experience, it adds to the Board’s overall effectiveness and contributes to broader organisational success.

 

2. Aspiring towards best practice in governance

Regular Board reviews are a core requirement in the Charity Governance Code, and as a Board effectiveness review is an indication to your stakeholders – including funders, staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, as well as the public – that your Board is dedicated to best practice, transparency and accountability.

 

3. Adapting to a period of change

Nonprofits are operating in an evolving political and social landscape. This context demands Boards to be proactive and adaptable; capable of addressing challenges as they arise and identifying potential opportunities.

A Board effectiveness review helps to strengthen Board engagement and collaboration, to ensure that its committees have the appropriate composition and established duties, and that processes and structures are consolidated. This facilitates effective decision-making, leadership, and communication when faced with change.

 

4. Identifying and addressing gaps

So maybe it isn’t all good, and we’d be lying if we said a Board effectiveness review doesn’t consider areas for improvement. By taking stock of your Board’s its structure, dynamics, processes, people, and performance, you have an opportunity to reflect on what perhaps may not be working as well as it could.

What is important here is to focus on what happens next. After hearing constructive feedback from all your Board members, you can create an actionable roadmap to address any gaps and overcome challenges.

 

5. Returning to your purpose

Let’s return to the core purpose of serving on a Board and take a moment to reflect on the reasons and motivation behind this commitment. We are reminded of the passion, interest, skills, and desire to give back. A Board effectiveness review serves to remind all Board members of these fundamentals, generating a renewed sense of purpose, clarity, and confidence moving into the future.

 

Interested in learning more?

Engaging an independent and external third-party perspective in a Board review can offer a valuable objective insight, removing any bias and allowing Board members to be honest and transparent with their feedback. We can work with you to tailor a Board evaluation that reflects the nuances and complexities of your organisation, out of which will emerge constructive recommendations that resonate with your Board members’ experiences.

If you are interested in learning more about what a Board review would look like for your Board, please contact our Director of Advisory Services, Sheena Horgan at sheena.horgan@2into3.com.

Strategic Plan for your sports organisation

4 Ways Your Sports Organisation Could Benefit from a Strategic Plan

The foundation of success for any sports team lies in having a clear game plan. This plan leverages the strengths of players and provides a direction for the team’s efforts on the field. Just as a game plan is an important step in guiding a team towards victory, developing a Strategic Plan helps sports organisations to achieve their goals.

Whether you are volunteer-led local club, a Local Sports Partnership, a National Governing Body, let’s look at 4 ways your organisation could benefit from a Strategic Plan.

 

1. Prioritisation of resources

Ever find yourself wishing there were more hours in the day, volunteers by the pitch, or funds in the coffers? It is essential that the energy of your staff and volunteers, as well as your finite resources, are directed in the best way. Identifying your top priorities in your Strategic Plan means that all efforts can be orientated in the right direction.

 

2. Unify your organisation

Developing and implementing a Strategic Plan is a collective endeavour, and an opportunity to bring together everyone in your organisation, to work on your organisation.

By consulting your players, members, volunteers and staff in the strategic planning process – asking them for their feedback, suggestions and inputs – will not only make sure that your Strategic Plan is relevant but will also help to build common ownership when it comes to delivery. And when everyone understands your organisation’s direction and their particular role in contributing towards that, it fosters collaboration and motivation.

 

3. Being grant-ready

A Strategic Plan ensures you have all your ducks in a row so that when a grant becomes available, you aren’t scrambling to react. It clearly outlines your organisation’s mission, goals, and the specific steps you’ll take to achieve them –  which is exactly what grant committees are looking for. Being proactive and prepared makes it easier to stand out in an increasingly competitive world of grants.

It also prevents against your organisation being distracted by or wasting time and effort applying for grants that don’t meet your strategic aims or resource requirements.

 

4. You never know who’s watching

By laying out the vision and ambitions in your Strategic Plan to all your stakeholders and to external audiences via your website, you open up the opportunity for potential collaborators and funders to recognise potential areas of synergy, innovation and partnership – and to maybe even approach you with an offer that you could never had dreamed of.

From our experience, some of the most exciting collaborations have come from the least likely of places – but they all started with a bolt of inspiration and your Strategic Plan could provide just that.

 

Find out more

2into3 has deep experience in developing Strategic Plans with sports organisations across Ireland. If you’re interested in learning more about how a Strategic Plan could benefit your sports organisation, please reach out to our Director of Advisory Services, Sheena Horgan at sheena.horgan@2into3.com.

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