b'TheIrelandFundsInauguralFlagshipInvestmentsGrantRoundBY JORDAN CAMPBELL , Programmes Manager, The Ireland FundsS O W I N GS E E D SW I T HO U T S T A N D I N GO R G A N I Z A T I O N SOver the last 38 years, The Worldwide Ireland Funds have awarded grants to more than 3,000 outstandingorganizations in Ireland and Northern Ireland working in the areas of arts and culture, community development, education and peace and reconciliation. Since 2008, our grantees have been operating in an extremely challenging fundraising environment, facing both drops in income and an increase in demand for their programs and services. As one of largest privategrantmaking organizations in Ireland, The Ireland Funds are proud that our donors have sustained their commitment tosupporting our work. In 2014, this commitment was demonstrated by the fact that we paid out over $24 million in grants to over 270 organizations through donor-designated gifts and through two competitive grants programs: the Small Grants Round and our new Flagship Investments Grant Round.Howcanwehelp?I R E L A N DSN O N P R O F I TS E C T O RS P E A K SA N DT H EI R E L A N DF U N D SL I S T E NEvery year, The Ireland Funds invite feedback from our applicants on our funding processes, clarity of guidelines and our services to grantees and applicants. In 2013, we invited all organizations who had applied to us in the past three yearswhether or not they received fundingto complete a more detailed survey on their experience of funding and on how we, as a foundation, could better help non-profit organizations. We received feedback from 660 organizations who told us that the non-profit sector would benefit most if we were to:Provide multi-annual fundingOffer more grants to support core costsOperate a tiered Grant Round with different requirements depending on amount soughtRequire matching fundingLimit eligibility to organizations with income below a certain thresholdOffer fewer grants but offer larger amountsNarrow guidelines to restrict eligibilityconnect2015|10'