The Charities Governance Code in Ireland currently has 6 principles. The principles, all of which are essentially inward looking, are intended to ensure that charities, which operate on public donations (whether directly from the general public or via the state), are properly run and diligently pursue their missions.
Whilst the current Code has been a great step forward in the process of improving charity governance in Ireland, my contention is that it almost assumes that each charity operates in a vacuum. And yet, we know this isn’t true.
Charities serve beneficiaries and operate in communities that in turn depend on ecosystems near and far. Charities therefore need to be mindful of their potential impact on people and place.
That is what the proposed 7th principle Caring for People and Place seeks to formally recognise. In itself, it is merely a steppingstone to a more radical reimaging of governance that gives local communities and ecosystems more of a say in what goes on in their midst.
The first version was more focused on Caring for the Planet and on ensuring that, in pursuit of providing a public benefit, no charity damages the living systems on which that public depends.
Following a conversation with a senior leader in the Charity sector, I became aware of a similar process of connecting charities to their broader social web in England and Wales where the 7th principle of the Charity Governance Code is entitled Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
The current version of Caring for People and Place seeks to build on this in an Irish context and to broaden inclusion to the rest of nature. In that respect it could equally be called Caring for People, Place & Planet.
Click on this link to read the current draft: Proposed 7th Charity Governance Principle: Caring for People & Place
I would love to get broad feedback so should you have any comments or queries please reach out.
