Summit 2025: Key Takeaways from the Member-Led Sessions

The afternoon parallel sessions at The Wheel’s annual Summit provide a showcase for our diverse member organisations. They are devised and led by members, and demonstrate the wealth of knowledge, expertise and frontline experience that exists across the sector. Below is a brief summary of the 2025 sessions.

AI – Advantages, Challenges and Best Practice for the Non-Profit Sector

This session was hosted by Elizabeth Kelly of Enclude and explored the advantages and challenges of using artificial intelligence (AI) as a non-profit. Advantages include enhanced data analysis, personalised donor engagement, and improved operational efficiency. Challenges identified include ethical concerns around data privacy and bias, especially for organisations working with vulnerable communities.

Some key pieces of advice in this session were to be transparent with your stakeholders about how you’re using AI, to be careful of inherent bias and to use AI as a support without expecting it to solve everything (think of it as anemployee who can’t say no, event if they are not up to the job).

Collaboration Between Charities

In this session led by Lydia Bentley of Mason, Hayes & Curran LLP, speakers discussed some of how charities and charity trustees can collaborate in their work. For example, pooling resources, knowledge or experience to achieve similar charitable objectives.

Attendees were reminded that charities are encouraged to consider collaboration and partnership as part of the Governance Code. This can take the form of information sharing and signposting, loose or structured partnerships, or even a formal merger. But core to this is a consideration of how partnerships support your charitable purpose. There was further discussion on mergers, with explanations about the types of mergers charities can consider, and a detailed look at the processes and due diligence charities should follow for a successful merger.

Some key governance considerations for partners were discussed. These include: Are they a registered charity? Are their filings up to date, especially through the Regulator’s new Traffic Light system for annual reports? Are they compliant with the Governance Code? Are there any clear governance or financial concerns?

Unlocking Social Finance: Sustainable Funding for Nonprofits

Garrett O’Donohoe CEO of the Social Finance Foundation, hosted this session exploring social finance as a potential solution to the challenge of securing sustainable non-profit funding in an increasingly unpredictable world. A panel of experts introduced various case studies of organisations who have successfully leveraged different social finance funding models.

Speakers identified some of the differences between social finance and traditional grants or philanthropy, which can be unreliable. Social finance offers a more sustainable solution, and offers more flexibility and understanding than traditional bank loans, as it's provided by nonprofit lenders who understand the goals of the third sector.

Challenges to the social finance approach were discussed, such as convincing boards to shift their mindset and view social finance not as debt, but as a valuable complement to other funding sources.

Interagency Response to the Risk of Domestic Violence Homicide in Rural Ireland

Hosted by Tara Farrell of Longford Women’s Link (LWL), this session examined the organisation’s model of interagency good practice in responding to the risk of domestic violence homicide in rural Ireland. Developed in 2023 using evidence and approaches pioneered in the UK, LWL have delivered training and supports to more than 200 frontline responders from 35+ agencies, and established an interagency forum comprising An Garda Síochána, TUSLA, Children and Youth Protective Services, Domestic Violence Services, and other practitioners in the criminal justice system.

During this important and moving session, Longford Women’s Link provided some stark statistics and information about coercive control, in particular, and unpacked various myths and biases we all hold around these issues. Sergeant Emer Farrell provided details about the evidence-based, best practice, interagency approach, which is changing service provision in this area in Ireland, which comprises An Garda Síochána, TUSLA, Children and Youth Protective Services, Domestic Violence Services, and other practitioners in the criminal justice system. To close, speakers provided results from the Longford model, and detailed future plans for creating safer communities for women and children.

Supporting CEOs to Navigate Challenges with Renewed Clarity

Hosted by 2into3, this session, led by by Sheena Horgan, took the form of an interactive clinic-style workshop, where an experienced panel of CEOs-turned-consultants provided pragmatic support on governance, priorities, legacy issues, board relations, crisis management, HR and more.

In this session, participants were given practical situations to think about. These included:

• It’s Friday afternoon, and an employee comes to you with a big personal issue. What do you consider? What do you do? 
• The trustees haven’t read the board pack! What are the knock-on effects? How can it be addressed? 
• A funding issue arises, which is likely to get media attention. How do you deal with the staff team and the board?

Civil Society Collaboration in a time of crisis: Case Study of the Ukrainian Civil Society Forum

This session was led by Brian Killoran, chair of the Ukraine Civil Society Forum (UCSF), which was formed by Irish migration-related civil society organisations in response to the needs of Ukrainians in Ireland. The Forum subsequently became the largest ever civil society collaboration in the area of migration and integration in the history of the state.

Panellists discussed its operating procedures and how it serves as a potential best practice model for the integration of broader migrant communities in Ireland, something that is incredibly relevant and important at the moment.

Speakers discussed the impact of taking an international humanitarian response approach and how applying that at the national level helped to organise the efforts really effectively.

Ukrainian speakers, Olya and Natalia, spoke powerfully about the impact of fleeing their lives in Ukraine with their families and arriving in Ireland. Both speakers addressed the challenge of their qualifications and previous experiences not being recognised here, but as they sought out opportunities to work, they found themselves moving into community engagement locally. Taking part in the civil society response forum provided them with purpose and positivity.

Towards a sustainable and nature-restored future

Hosted by Jenny Beale of Brigit’s Garden, this session built on the thriving communities theme of this year's Summit to address the twin challenges of a changing climate and ecosystem loss. It featured three community case studies.

The Mud Island Community Garden case study highlighted the huge benefit of community gardening for social cohesion, integration, mental and physical health. This led to a discussion about the connection between our health and wellbeing and the wellbeing of the natural environment around us.

Further conversation centred around the idea that nature is not a luxury or an add-on. It was suggested that all of our organisations can take steps to connect people and nature for mutual benefit. While we can get overwhelmed by the big issues, we should never lose sight of the value of this grassroots work.