b'ConnectFALL / WINTER2 0 1 5Dear Fellow Donors,We have just reached a number of very significant milestones. We have achieved our $200 million goal, twice the original goal, of the Promising Ireland Campaign. In doing so, our total earnings since we were founded at the first New York Dinner in 1976 have now reached $500 million. Indeed, it was marvelous that we could celebrate this great achievement at the 2015 New York Dinner in the presence of one of our co-founders, Dan Rooney.At our Conference in County Kerry this year, a record number of donors and supporters from across the world spent time with some of the outstanding projects that we have the privilege of supporting. These organizations are closing gaps, strengthening weaknesses and creating opportunities all across Ireland. I do hope you will get an opportunity to visit Ireland before long and if so, do let us know so that we can give you the chance to see first-hand the work that you are supporting. You can read about some of these great projects such as the Early Learning Initiative in this edition of Connect.But we must look to the future. We began that through a process of board retreats and consulta-tions last year. The outcome is that a very ambitious and robust development plan was adopted at the Conference which will see us through for the next decade. We are determined to build on the power of the Campaign and increase still further our support of Irish non-profit organizations and society in general. Thank you for helping us to achieve these milestones and I hope you will continue to help us in reaching further milestones well into the future. With much appreciation,John FitzpatrickChairmanThe American Ireland Fundconnect2015 | 3'