Quick guide

The Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation has completed the compliance checklist process and complies with the principles and practices of the Governance Code for Community Voluntary and Charity organisation’s in Ireland.

This process was completed in January 2017 and we are now deemed ‘Compliant’ on the Governance Code website. (www.governancecode.ie)

Corporate Governance is simply transparency and compliance with the Charity Commission regulations. Corporate governance is a term that refers broadly to the rules, processes, or laws by which businesses are operated, regulated, and controlled. Governance of an organisation is an ongoing endeavour and the basic principles need to be adhered to on an ongoing basis and is the overall responsibility of each and every staff member from the Board of Directors/Trustees down.

Implementing and complying with good practice codes such as the Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charity sector, ‘good governance’ is a continuing journey where you constantly aim to apply good practice principles and check regularly on how you are doing. It is not a tick box exercise or about producing big binders of policies and controls that nobody pays attention to. It is about leadership, compliance, accountability, transparency, effectiveness, honesty and fairness. It is about seeking to do the right thing in the right way at all times.

Good governance matters not only because it promotes compliance with the law but also because it has a strong bearing on the organisation’s effectiveness in achieving its mission. Good governance is at the heart of any organisation.

It is about being transparent, open and encouraging trust. The annual report and financial statements represent a real opportunity for charities to communicate and demonstrate transparency and their adherence to good governance more effectively and in doing so build greater trust.

There are five basic principles of the Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland (www.governancecode.ie):

1. Leading the Organisation
2. Exercising Control over the Organisation
3. Being Transparent and Accountable
4. Working effectively
5. Behaving with Integrity

We have reviewed and accepted all of the above principles at Board and Management level. It is the duty and responsibility of the Board and the Executive to ensure that the operation and adoption of the above principles is undertaken across the organisation.

The checklist will be revisited as a Board meeting agenda item annually as well as a management item annually and we are required need to resubmit our public statement of compliance every three years.

A well-defined and enforced corporate governance provides a structure that, at least in theory, works for the benefit of everyone concerned by ensuring that Jack and Jill adheres to accepted ethical standards and best practices as well as to formal laws. Good corporate governance helps to prevent corporate scandals, fraud, and potential civil and criminal liability of the organisation. A good corporate governance image enhances the reputation of the organisation and makes it more attractive to donors, investors, suppliers and staff.

Corporate governance is about the methods and processes we put in place to provide for the proper guidance and oversight of the organisation. It is the systems that set out what we want the board and management of the organisation to do, the rules or policies they need to adhere to and how they need to account for the deployment and use of the organisation’s resources. It is about how the organisation is directed and controlled. How decisions are made and how the organisation reports on the impact of those decisions. It is critical to the effectiveness of the organisation and those involved in it. Good corporate governance has to be at the heart of the organisation, constantly reviewed, evaluated and improved.

In addition to the Governance code, Jack and Jill has also subscribed to the ‘Triple Lock’ standards as set out by the Charities Institute of Ireland. This includes Corporate governance but also transparent reporting (financial and otherwise), good fundraising standards.

We prepare a Trustees Annual Report (Mazars) and financial statements in full compliance with Charity SORP (Standard of Reporting Practice under FRS102 Accounting regulation) and make them easily available to the public on our website.

We have formally adopted and are publicly signed up to the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.
See www.charitiesinstituteireland.ie

Maeve Beggs
Board of Trustees

Public Compliance

• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is committed to complying with the Statement of Guiding Principles of Fundraising and has formally adopted the statement at a meeting of the governing body.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation confirms its commitment to the principles set out in the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising by a statement to that effect in its annual report.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation has a Donor Charter which is consistent with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation regularly monitors compliance with the Statement of Guiding Principles of Fundraising and compliance reports are received regularly by the governing body.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation considers the Statement of Guiding Principles for fundraising when planning all fundraising activities.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation provides honest, open and transparent disclosure when fundraising from the public.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation has appointed a member of the Management Committee and the Financial Administrator to be responsible for compliance with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation ensures that staff are provided with the relevant information on the Statement of Guiding Principles of Fundraising and its implementation.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation has a feedback and complaints procedure consistent with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.  Feedback is recorded for review by the Fundraising Department and is responded to effectively and efficiently.
• The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation prepares financial reports consistent with the requirements of the Charities Act 2009 which include a statement concerning the extent to which the organisation is independent of its funding sources.
•  The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation ensures that all donations are tracked and recorded and complies with data protection requirements.
•  The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is accessible to the public through a number of readily available contact options.

Donor Charter

As a charity seeking donations from the public we the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation aim to comply with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.

Our pledge is to treat all our donors with respect, honesty and openness.

We commit to being accountable and transparent so that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in Jack & Jill.

We promise to effectively apply your donations for their intended purpose at all times.

We commit that you, our donors and prospective donors will:

1. Be informed of the organisation’s mission and of the way that we intend to use donated resources.
2. Be informed of the identity of those serving on our governing board and that the board will exercise prudent judgement in its governing responsibilities at all times.
3. Have access to the organisations most recent financial statements.
4. Be assured that your gifts will be used for the purpose for which they were given.
5. Receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
6. Be assured that information about your donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
7. Expect that all relationships with individuals representing the organisation will be dealt with professionally.
8. Be informed whether those seeking donations are employees, volunteers or third party agencies.
9. Have easily available the agreed procedures for making and responding to complaints.
10. Have the opportunity for any names to be removed from mailing lists and to be informed if the organisation intends to share its mailing list with third parties.
11. Receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers to questions you might have of the organisation.

 Complaints Procedure

The Jack & Jill children’s Foundation is committed to ensuring that all our communications and dealings with the general public and our supporters are of the highest possible standard. We listen and respond to the views of the general public and our supporters so that we can continue to improve.
The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation welcome both positive and negative feedback.

Therefore we aim to ensure that:

• It is as easy as possible to make a complaint;
• We treat as a complaint any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our operations which calls for a response;
• We treat it seriously whether it is made by telephone, letter, fax, email or in person;
  We deal with it quickly and politely;
• We respond accordingly – for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong and information on any action taken etc;
• We learn from complaints, use them to improve, and monitor them at our Board.

If you have Feedback or a Complaint

If you do have a complaint about any aspect of our work, you can contact Hugo Jellett (CEO) in writing or by telephone.

In the first instance, your complaint will be dealt with by our CEO. Please give us as much information as possible and let us know how you would like us to respond to you, providing relevant contact details.

Write to:

Hugo Jellett
CEO
The Jack& Jill Children’s Foundation
Johnstown Manor
Johnstown, Naas
Co. Kildare

Phone:
Tel: (045) 894538

Email:
E:  hugo@jackandjill.ie
W: www.jackandjill.ie

Our office is open 5 days a week from 9.00am to 5.00pm