The Ireland Funds Heart of the Community Fund awards $1,000,000 to 94 not-for-profit organisations across the island of Ireland
17 July 2023: The Ireland Funds, the global philanthropic network, has awarded €930,000 ($1,000,000) to 94 organisations across the island of Ireland through its annual Heart of the Community Fund, which provides critical and timely funding to a wide range of not-for-profit organisations. The Ireland Funds recognises the challenges organisations face in securing funding to build their capacity or meet their core costs, so the Heart of the Community Fund 2023 provided grants to meet these needs. The grants awarded by the Heart of the Community Fund have been made possible by philanthropic gifts and fundraising events of The Ireland Funds America, the largest of The Ireland Funds’ global chapters.
62 not-for-profit organisations in the Republic of Ireland received grant funding along with 32 organisations in Northern Ireland falling under The Ireland Funds’ four pillars of support for Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education and Peace & Reconciliation.
Organisations in the Republic of Ireland which will receive funding include AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity; Belvedere Youth Club, which works with disadvantaged young people in the North-East Inner City; Sensational Kids CLG in Kildare, which helps provide access to diagnostic, developmental and therapeutic services to children on long waiting lists; the Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick and many more.
Among the organisations in Northern Ireland which will be supported through the fund include the Lyric Theatre, the Integrated Education Fund which supports the establishment of new integrated schools; WOMEN’STEC which supports vulnerable women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds improve their life opportunities and Nexus NI, which supports and empowers individuals affected by sexual abuse and abusive relationships.
Caitriona Fottrell, President & CEO of The Ireland Funds, said: “The not-for-profit sector in Ireland is the engine on the ground delivering vital services every day, in every community. We understand the significant challenges organisations face, in particular, to meet their core costs to keep that engine going. We believe in each organisation we fund. We believe in what they do, and how they do it. We know that by investing in them, we are positively impacting the communities they work with. The Heart of the Community Fund is supported by our events and our committed donors, and we are grateful their generosity will enable great work across the island of Ireland.”
Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, said: “AsIAm is hugely grateful to be included in the year’s Heart of the Community Fund grant round. Since our inception in 2015, The Ireland Funds, and its donors across the world, have played a critical role in supporting the growth of our organisation, from concept to impact, and in terms of some of our most innovative programmes from our work in schools through to our Autism Information Line – this work simply would not have been piloted, never mind scaled without this generous philanthropic support. In the year ahead we are working to expand the group-based supports we deliver, predominantly online and in the Dublin area, to a number of regional sites across the country and this core support from The Ireland Funds will make a critical difference as we work to cumulatively support 25,000 people by the end of 2025.”
The Ireland Funds is strategically positioned within the non-profit sector and has swiftly identified and prioritised vital areas of need including enhancing the quality of outcomes in education; disability support; engagement with the arts; family support services; assisting the elderly; encouraging sustainability; mental health and community support.
For more information on The Ireland Funds, please visit irelandfunds.org
Picture Caption:
- L-R Jenny Courtney, General Manager of Belvedere Youth Club; Teddy Doyle; Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm; Archie McMahon; Siobhán Gallagher, Executive Director of The Ireland Funds; Kayden Kavanagh. The Ireland Funds, the global philanthropic network, has awarded €930,000 ($1,000,000) to 94 organisations in 24 counties across the island of Ireland through its annual Heart of the Community Fund, which provides critical and timely funding to a wide range of not-for-profit organisations. The grants awarded by the Heart of the Community Fund have been made possible by philanthropic gifts and fundraising events of The Ireland Funds America, the largest of The Ireland Funds’ global chapters.
About The Ireland Funds
The Ireland Funds is a global philanthropic network established in 1976 to promote and support peace, culture, education and community development throughout the island of Ireland, and Irish-related causes around the world. It has benefited the work of thousands of different organisations, with both financial and non-financial support. Today, The Ireland Funds is one of the largest independent grant makers for the not-for-profit sector in Ireland.
