Good Practice & Transparency
The Immigrant Council of Ireland is committed to operating to high standards of good practice and transparency and has signed up to the following voluntary codes of practice:
The Charities Governance Code
We comply with the Charities Governance Code, a code including six principles of governance with which all charitable organisations in Ireland must comply. The Charities Governance Code is principles-based and has been designed by the sector, for the sector. We have completed the mandatory compliance form and review annually to ensure continued compliance.
Our Registered Charity Number (RCN) is: 20061982.
Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public:
We are committed to establishing and maintaining good relations with all our fundraising supporters. We are signed up to and compliant with the Charities Regulator voluntary 'Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public’ which are reflected in our own ‘Donor’s Charter.’ You can read our Statement of Public Compliance here.
Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP):
Our annual reports are prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 2014 and, voluntarily in the absence of statutory reporting standards for charities in Ireland, in accordance with international best practice SORP best practice standard of accountability and transparency for charities [Charities Statement of Recommended Practice SORP (FRS 102)].
Your feedback matters to us
At the Immigrant Council we actively encourage you to contact us with your feedback, whether good or bad. We recognise there may be times when things go wrong and an activity may not meet our usual high standards. When this happens, it is important that we know so that we can effectively deal with the situation, try to prevent it from happening again and learn from our mistakes.
Complaints are especially important to us as they may help us to see where our services, procedures or activities can be improved. Please email us at admin@immigrantcouncil.ie or call 01 674 0202.
For more information please refer to our Feedback and Complaints Policy.
Did you contact our Immigration Helpline? Tell us how we did!
Your feedback helps us improve our services. If you used our helpline either by phone or email, we would love to hear how we did.
How we are funded
As an independent charity, the Immigrant Council relies on voluntary income from the public for 20% of its annual budget, including donations, fundraising and legacies. The remaining 80% funding comes from grants for charitable activities
from Irish and EU state and nonstate bodies.
Reserves Statement
Reserves help to maintain financial stability and allow a charity to meet its commitments, continue to undertake work, and deliver services, even when unexpected events or costs arise.
Why we hold reserves:
- to meet our commitments when expenditure overruns or unplanned events occur;
- to fund shortfalls in income, for example when income is delayed or does not reach expected levels;
- to fund unexpected events calling on our services;
- to fund future commitments or projects;
- to respond to unexpected difficulties or crisis.
By holding appropriate reserves, we are acting to protect the charity from future challenges, uncertainties and changes in economic circumstances.
The Immigrant Council of Ireland’s minimum reserves level is set at three months of ‘core’ unrestricted expenditure plus costs of closure. As at 31/12/20 the Immigrant Council of Ireland holds reserves of five months of ‘core’ unrestricted expenditure which is more than its minimum target. Given uncertainty in the future economic outlook, the Board does not propose to take any actions to adjust the level of reserves being held.
Useful links
Organisational Governance
Irish Charities Regulator
The Charities Regulator is Ireland's national statutory regulator for charitable organisations.
www.charitiesregulatoryauthority.ie
Governance Code
A Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland.
www.governancecode.ie
The Wheel
Support and representation for the Irish community, voluntary and charitable sector.
www.wheel.ie