Charities must ensure society does not lose faith in them

Hard times for charities: A perfect storm or an opportunity? Charities may not be run for profit, but they still need to have high standards of corporate governance, writes Hans Zomer

THE decision by Labour senators to apply pressure on the Government to regulate the 7,800 charities in Ireland that receive about €6bn a year in taxpayers’ money, and the protracted, internal disagreements at Goal have placed the charity sector under closer scrutiny.

This comes when charities are under huge stress. Government funding has been cut, but demand for services is soaring. Charities find themselves more reliant than ever on the gener-osity of the public at a time when the public has less money to give.