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.
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
From 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 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.