Charitable donations to exceed €27m for year
Picture: Poveda Toy Rté Appeal December / Show The €5m In Raised Andres
Ireland continues to live up to its reputation for generosity, as a philanthropy hub reports record donations in 2024.
Community Foundation Ireland's (CFI) Impact Report shows donations for the year are set to surpass €27m.
The money raised by the public includes the €5m that was raised as part of the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal and equals the annual record that was previously set in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic.
"Our philanthropists, donors and supporters are not only supporting the delivery of frontline services on the ground in communities but are also making possible equality work which otherwise would not happen," said CFI chief executive Denise Charlton.
"The people of Ireland are keenly aware of the need to protect the rights of minorities, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the challenge posed by climate change," she said.
"Two major elections, protests and acts of violence have put polarisation and social division in the spotlight."
This division, which CFI said was in part sparked by the cost-of-living crisis, was leading people to recommit to philanthropy in an effort to maintain strong and thriving communities.
Ms Charlton said the full potential of Irish philanthropy was not being realised by government.
As the Programme for Government is negotiated over the coming weeks, the CFI is calling on the incoming government to commit to resourcing and implementing the first National Policy on Philanthropy which was launched in December 2023.
It also asks that the new government looks at growing areas such as legacy giving, saying if this was to reach similar levels as the UK, it could mean an extra €600m for communities.
The report notes achievements realised in 2024 with the support of the Government, including a commitment to providing hot school meals to every child, pilot projects to prevent "holiday hunger", ensuring children are fed during school breaks, and two new partnership fund to promote local action to protect the climate.