Transparency, Governance & Accountability
Practical thinking on transparency systems for European charities, NGOs and community organisations and EU-funded programmes — from Vedomia's transparency consulting practice in Ireland.
Reporting is a process too — here's what a good one looks like
Every organisation runs four different kinds of process — and has to report on all of them. Reporting is almost never mapped as a process in its own right. Here are six signs that yours actually works.
AI literacy is already the law — Article 4 of the EU AI Act, explained for charities
Article 4 has applied since 2 February 2025 and almost no small organisation has noticed. What it requires, why it applies to you, and a five-step plan — plus a documentation record — you can complete in an afternoon.
Your privacy policy doesn't cover your AI — statement vs notice, explained
A GDPR privacy notice and an AI transparency statement are two different documents doing two different jobs. What each covers, where they overlap on automated decisions, and how to keep them consistent — with a side-by-side comparison.
How to prove a human checks your AI — a practical oversight log for charities
"A human reviews it" is a claim, not evidence. How to turn human oversight of AI into something you can actually show — the three parts of real oversight, and a simple, ready-to-copy oversight log that matches effort to risk.
AI transparency for Irish charities & nonprofits — getting ready for Article 50 of the EU AI Act
Since 2 August 2026, the transparency obligations of Article 50 apply. A plain-English guide with a five-step readiness checklist and a free AI Transparency Statement template.
The 3% rule: how a missing EU logo can cost your organisation thousands
Managing authorities can cancel up to 3% of your EU grant for non-compliance with visibility obligations. Here is what triggers the penalty — and how to protect your organisation.
Governance vs compliance: why passing an audit doesn't make you transparent
There is a critical difference between compliance with EU visibility requirements and genuine organisational transparency. Here is why that difference matters.
EU emblem rules: the exact wording, size and placement required by law
Many EU-funded organisations display the EU emblem incorrectly. Here is exactly what Annex IX of CPR 2021/1060 requires — wording, size, placement and common mistakes to avoid.
What is the EU Financial Transparency System — and does your NGO appear in it?
The FTS is a public database auditors and journalists use to check EU grant recipients. Here is what it contains, what it misses, and what auditors found about its reliability.
What EU funders actually look for in a transparency audit
How internal transparency creates external trust — and what managing authorities actually check during an EU fund audit.
AI Act Article 50: what social impact organisations need to know before August 2026
How charities and NGOs can use generative AI transparently, ethically, and in a way that builds trust with all stakeholders.
Why your staff handbook isn't enough — and what to do instead
Transparency is not the act of releasing information, but the act of making information understandable. Why this distinction matters.
The EU AI Act Timeline for Charities — What Actually Applies, and When
The EU AI Act arrives in stages, and the 2026 Digital Omnibus moved some of them. A plain-English timeline for Irish and EU charities — what applied in 2025, what lands in August 2026, and what was pushed to…
The AI Your Charity Must Never Use — Article 5 and the Practices Already Banned
Article 5 of the EU AI Act bans a set of AI practices outright — in force since 2 February 2025 and enforceable with fines since 2 August 2025. A plain-English guide for Irish and EU charities, with the bans that can…
When AI Helps Decide, People Can Ask Why — GDPR Article 22 for Charities
If your charity uses AI to score, rank or filter people, GDPR Article 22 and the right to meaningful information may already apply — long before the AI Act's high-risk rules. A plain-English guide for Irish and EU…
Before You Roll Out an AI Tool: Does Your Charity Need a DPIA?
If your charity is about to introduce an AI tool that touches people's personal data, GDPR Article 35 may require a Data Protection Impact Assessment first. A plain-English guide for Irish and EU charities — when a…
Your Charity Needs a One-Page AI Use Policy — Here's What Goes In It
A short, written AI use policy is one of the simplest ways an Irish or EU charity can show responsible, transparent AI use — and it supports the EU AI Act's Article 4 literacy duty. A plain-English guide with a…
"Where Do You Use AI?" — Build the One Register That Answers It
Almost every EU AI Act and GDPR obligation starts with the same question: where does your organisation use AI? A practical guide for Irish and EU charities to build a single AI register — with a ready-to-use column…
Before You Buy: The AI Transparency Questions to Ask Any Vendor
When a small organisation adopts AI, it usually buys it — and under the EU AI Act you become the deployer, carrying duties the vendor's promises don't remove. A practical one-page set of transparency questions to ask…
Using AI to Sift Applicants? The EU AI Act Calls That High-Risk
If your charity uses AI to screen, score or shortlist job applicants, the EU AI Act classifies it as high-risk under Annex III. A plain-English guide to what that means, the shifting timeline, and what to do now —…
The Process Audit: The Most Important Thing Your Organisation Isn't Doing
A process is not a document. It is a promise. How process thinking transforms hiring, beneficiary experience, impact measurement, and audit readiness.