Unique conference brings the voluntary sector and the corporate sectors together for Dublin conference

"Partnering for Success" is a unique conference which brings together the voluntary and corporate sectors to share experiences and best practices.  The conference will include representatives from both sectors to explore the leadership and management challenges facing organisations in Ireland and how both can learn from each other.

"Partnering for Success" will take place on November 20th 2008 at Croke Park and is open to non profit groups.

The event is being supported by a number of organisations from the private sector and the community & voluntary sector including; The Wheel, Carmichael Centre, GlaxoSmithKline, Microsoft, Ulster Bank, Vodafone Ireland Foundation, Enclude, Evolve, Recruitment Plus and Waters & Associates.

The conference will include insights into how the community & voluntary sector is developing and the main challenges that face its leaders. It will also focus on how the corporate and voluntary sectors can foster and develop ongoing relationships by sharing best practice and experiences. There will be sessions covering areas such as governance, fundraising, management, HR and technology.

Deirdre Garvey of the Wheel said, “The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility is very well developed in Ireland and many companies work with charity partners, donate funds and volunteer employee time. Corporates and charities can achieve best value when funds and resources are donated directly to support the work done to help people, as well as supporting the costs that it takes to actually run its organisation. ‘Partnering for Success’ will provide valuable insights and learning for all participants and we would encourage as many non-profit groups as possible to attend.”

“Innovation is central to everything that we do at Microsoft and we believe that there is a huge opportunity for greater innovation and co-operation between the private sector and the community and voluntary sector in Ireland.  The value of the Partnering for Success Conference is that both sectors have the opportunity to come together, learn from each other and discover new ways of working together for mutual benefit. It’s a starting point that hopefully will grow and develop over time to have a significant benefit to everyone in society,” commented Tom Murphy, head of corporate social responsibility at Microsoft in Ireland.

“Many of the challenges of running a charity are similar to those of running a business,” said Brian Gavin, Corporate Affairs Director, GlaxoSmithKline. “However, many voluntary groups don’t have the resources or the time to invest in the latest practices and take advantage of new developments, such as the latest technology, that can help run its business in a more sustainable and productive way. ‘Partnering for Success’ is a unique solution designed to share the private sector’s expertise in these areas with non-profit organisations. From the private sector perspective, we will also have the opportunity to learn a great deal from our non-profit partners on how best to maximise relationships between the sectors and so the event will be of great benefit to both sides.”

The conference will take place on Thursday 20th of November 2008 at the Event Centre in Croke Park. For details on the conference and to register please contact www.wheel.ie/partneringforsucces or 01-454 8727.