Charities in Carlow invited to find their perfect board match at a volunteer speed dating event

A charity trustee speed-dating event, the only of its kind in Ireland, has been announced today by Boardmatch Ireland and they are calling on charities in Carlow to attend.

The event, taking place on Wednesday, October 12 from 5.30pm to 8pm in Croke Park, will match charities and not-for-profit organisations with those looking to become volunteer board members.

Boardmatch is Ireland’s only charity dedicated to charity and not-for-profit board recruitment and support. Boardmatch connects individuals looking to volunteer their time, skills, and expertise, with charities that have board vacancies.

This is the third charity speed-dating event that Boardmatch has held. This year, 70 charities will attend the event in Croke Park to meet over 200 individuals where they can apply for a board role and see if it is a match culturally and skills-wise.

Commenting on the announcement of the event, Joe O’Brien TD Minister of State for Community Development and Charities at the Department of Rural and Community Development said:

“Having worked in the community and voluntary sector for over 20 years, I’ve seen first-hand the power of charities in our communities.

“It’s important that charity boards continue to attract individuals from all sectors, increasing diversity and in return benefiting our communities. There are more people volunteering now than ever before, people who make a real difference in so many ways in our communities.

“The Charity Governance Code encourages board rotation and recruiting individuals with specific skills that can assist the charity to be more impactful.

“I encourage all charities to use Boardmatch, with a database of over 3,500 individuals seeking board vacancies, to enhance their board. The charity trustee speed-dating event is a great opportunity for individuals to meet various charities and find one that will suit their skills and interests.”

Photographed at the launch of the charity trustee speed-dating event was Eva Gurn, CEO, Boardmatch Ireland; Martina Westphal, Managing Director, BHP Insurance; ; Cyril Treacy, Vice President International Strategic Industry Advisors for non-Profit and Education at Salesforce.org; Kim MacKenzie-Doyle, Instigator, The Big Idea; Philip Smith, Partner, Arthur Cox; and Dominic Layden, CEO, Aware.

Speaking at the launch of the charity speed-dating event, Eva Gurn, CEO at Boardmatch Ireland, said:

“We’ve come up with a simple concept for our charity speed-dating event, putting 70 charities in a room and allowing over 200 individuals to get to know them. We’re delighted to be able to return for the third year of this event and to continue to break down barriers for those who want to volunteer on boards in the not-for-profit and charity sectors.

“It’s always been the norm that you would join a board because you know someone else on the board. At Boardmatch, we know that the best boards are those with no relationships in the boardroom.

“We are bringing individuals from all walks of life into the charity sector to bring their skills, perspective, and voice. We believe that increased diversity at board level can enhance productivity, creativity, and innovation which all lead to more impact in our communities.

“We also know that no one is born a charity Trustee and training can be beneficial to prepare individuals for joining a board. We’re excited to announce that there is now a training bursary provided by our sponsors. Every board appointment that results from our charity speed-dating event will be able to attend our CPD accredited charity trustee training for free.”

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Commenting on their experience of working with Boardmatch Ireland, Lucia Ebbs, CEO, CRY Ireland said:

“All charities exist to create a better society and CRY Ireland works to support families affected by Sudden Cardiac Death. We could not do this without our Trustees. The commitment and energy they display makes a direct difference to our charity and everyone it helps.

“Being a Trustee with CRY Ireland is hard work, and unpaid, and our Trustees have the ultimate responsibility for running CRY - bringing their skills, energy and expertise. We hope that being a Trustee with CRY is a rewarding experience and we’re incredibly grateful to those who’ve come to work with us through our partnership with Boardmatch”.

To date, Boardmatch has placed over 3,000 individuals onto charity boards in Ireland through their free online matching service, their bespoke Premium Board Search and their charity speed-dating event.

Boardmatch works with charities of all sizes, from smaller charities to some of Ireland’s most well-known charity organisations. Over the last three years, through Boardmatch, there have been 1,000 board appointments. These reflected gender equal appointments and a diverse range of ages, with the youngest being 19 years old and the oldest at 72 years old.

Individuals and charities interested in attending the charity trustee speed-dating event can register at: https://www.boardmatch-trustee-speed-dating.ie/