The Wheel’s survey of more than 100 organisations, as referenced in The Irish Times (May 2026) found that nearly a quarter of charities said they had doubts about their ability to sustain existing services this year due to funding shortfalls, and 38% reported being unable to recruit or retain staff, largely because of uncompetitive pay.

Our latest analysis of senior-level recruitment across the Irish nonprofit sector points to a continued cooling in hiring activity compared with the same period last year. Through tracking advertised roles across a range of job platforms, 2into3 identified a total of 191 management-level roles advertised in Q2 2026, a decrease of 24% from the 250 roles tracked in the same quarter of 2025. There was also a 19% decrease in the number of organisations recruiting, falling from 186 in Q2 2025 to 151 in Q2 2026.

Activity by Subsector

Consistent with previous quarters, a number of organisations advertised their vacancies anonymously. As a result, of the 191 roles we recorded, 157 could be assigned to an identifiable subsector.

Roles by Subsector:

The Social Services subsector share has held broadly steady on the same quarter last year – remaining the most active by a clear margin – accounting for 33% of the senior-level roles tracked in Q2 2026. This is not surprising given that Tusla’s 2025 annual report noted a milestone moment for the State’s child and family services: the first time the number of child safety and welfare referrals breached 100,000 in a single year (Irish Times).

This is consistent with sustained demand for services in areas such as homelessness, disability, and family support. Figures from the Department of Housing showed that in May 2026, 17,447 people were living in emergency accommodation (Gov.ie) – a crisis which is deeply intertwined with mental health and addiction challenges.

Health (23%) and Local Development & Housing (14%) followed as the next most active subsectors. Together, these three subsectors account for around 70% of all assignable roles, underscoring how the sector’s recruitment activity remains concentrated in frontline service delivery.

International activity held steady at 6% of assignable roles (10 roles in Q2 2026 compared with 11 in Q2 2025). Elsewhere, the sharpest year-on-year falls came in Education & Research (down from 14 roles to 5) and Recreation & Sport (down from 16 roles to 4), both of which saw their share of activity reduce markedly.

Activity by Role Function

Service Delivery & Operational Management roles remain the most sought-after leadership function, representing 35% of all roles in Q2 2026. However, this marks a decline in share from 41% in Q2 2025, and the number of roles fell from 103 to 66.

Policy, Advocacy & Campaigning more than doubled its share, rising from 2% to 6% (6 roles to 12), while HR increased from 4% to 7% (10 roles to 14). The complexity introduced by Workplace Relations Commission wage agreements is a likely driver: while some organisations received additional funding to implement salary increases, many are not covered by these arrangements, creating significant internal equity and HR management challenges which require experienced HR leadership and expertise.

Fundraising & Business Development grew slightly from 18% to 20% of roles, indicating that income diversification remains a priority as organisations look to broaden their funding base and reduce reliance on any single source.

Finance held constant at 10%, while CEO and Executive Director roles fell from 12% to 8% of activity (29 roles to 15), suggesting a degree of stabilisation at the very top of organisations after a busier period for leadership turnover witnessed in 2025.

Activity by Income Type

Data on income was available for 112 of the 151 organisations in Q2 2026, as those that advertised anonymously or did not disclose their income were excluded.

• 13% (15 organisations) reported an annual income of less than €1 million.
• 52% (58 organisations) reported an annual income of between €1 million and €10 million.
• 35% (39 organisations) reported an annual income exceeding €10 million.

Key Observations

Our data for Q2 2026 illustrates a sector which is making careful, targeted investments in the internal functions (HR, policy, fundraising) that will determine its long-term resilience. The contraction in overall hiring is a signal that the sector is under strain.

The continued dominance of Social Services, Health, and Local Development & Housing in the subsector breakdown is unsurprising, with hiring trends again serving as a reflection of where public need and public funding remain most concentrated.

Get in Touch

Our Talent Team records senior roles in the nonprofit sector and produces quarterly insights. To explore previous Nonprofit Talent Trends Reports, visit our Talent Insights page. For more information, contact Shannon Barrett, Principal – Talent Services, at Shannon.barrett@2into3.com.