The Ireland Funds announce results of Promising Ireland campaign- $226 million successfully raised to assist Irish charities during global financial crisis

5th February, 2016 : Ireland

Press Releases

Friday February 5th, 2016

CEO of Worldwide Ireland Funds announces results of Promising Ireland campaign-$226 million successfullyraised since 2009 to assist Irish charities during recent global financial crisis.

Former rugby international Gordon D’arcy honoured at annual fundraising lunch

Kieran McLoughlin, President and CEO of The Worldwide Ireland Funds, today announced that $226 million, twice its original goal, has been raised to support the work of over 900 outstanding Irish not for profits over the past 7 years. He was speaking at the 8th Annual Rugby Luncheon in Dublin at which former international player, Gordon D’arcy was honoured in the presence of 400 guests including Michael Flatley, US Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O’Malley, British Ambassador to Ireland, Dominick Chilcott and former internationals Hugo MacNeill, Trevor Ringland and Phil Danaher.

The Promising Ireland campaign ran from 2009 to the end of 2015 as a response to the increased demand for services from the Irish non-profit sector at a time of a major reduction in resources. The campaign’s title was chosen to reflect The Ireland Funds’ pledge to these groups as well as a belief in Ireland’s future. All funds raised have come from private philanthropic sources around the world. In total, over 11,000 donors from the 12 countries in which The Ireland Funds are active contributed to support Irish charities and causes worldwide.

Commenting, Mr. McLoughlin said, “It is marvellous to witness the power of private philanthropy and its capacity to achieve lasting impact for the public good. Our donors truly stood up for Ireland at a crucial time when the not for profit sector was, in many ways, maintaining Ireland’s social fabric. The Ireland Funds will continue tobuild on the momentum of the campaign to further increase their support of Irish non-profits that are carrying out programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education, and community development around the world.”

Projects assisted by the Promising Ireland Campaign include: Music Generation, Foróige Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Fighting Words, Women for Election, The Early Learning Initiative (ELI), Playhouse Derry, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and the Little Museum of Dublin. These organizations represent the 900 not-for-profit groups that have benefitted directly from the philanthropic support of The Ireland Funds Promising Ireland Campaign.About The Worldwide Ireland Funds.

The Ireland Funds are a philanthropic network across 12 countries that has raised over $500 million for worthy causes in Ireland and Irish causes around the world since foundation in 1976. It is the largest network of friends of Ireland dedicated to supporting programs of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development.

For further information, please contact Caroline Kennedy at Kennedy PR+Brand(086) 2449805 ckennedy@kennedyprandbrand.ie