About Us

Fundraising Ireland is the network for fundraisers in Ireland. Established in 2007 it was founded by fundraisers for fundraisers to promote best practice in fundraising, enable fundraisers in Ireland to network and to represent the profession of fundraising in the evolving charities and fundraising regulation.

The fundraising sector in Ireland has grown dramatically in recent years. Over €500m is estimated to get raised nationally on an annual basis. Several hundreds are employed directly as fundraisers within organizations while many more thousands of people are also engaged in fundraising as part of their work or in a voluntary capacity. In February 2009 the Charities Act 2009 was enacted which specifies a range of regulatory processes for charities which engage in fundraising, and which demonstrates even more clearly the need for a central body for fundraisers.

Formally launched in June 2007 as an ad-hoc network, Fundraising Ireland became incorporated as a company in May 2009.

Aims and Objectives

1. To provide a networking organisation for fundraisers and those associated with fundraising to meet and to discuss issues of shared interest.
2. To promote best practice in fundraising in Ireland.
3. To organise an average of 3 networking and discussion group meetings for fundraisers per year on topics chosen by fundraisers.
4. To develop and roll out Ireland's premier annual conference for fundraisers enabling Irish fundraisers to learn from international and national experience and expertise.
5. To circulate information to interested parties about existing and newly formed special interest fundraising groups and to work with these groups to support their existence and inform others about them.
6. To promote the development of accredited training for fundraisers in Ireland.
7. To represent best practice in fundraising in relation to the Charities Act and associated fundraising regulation through codes of practice.

A voluntary steering group emerged initially which met regularly over the first two years to progress these aims and objectives and to set up the organization as a limited company and registered charity with the Revenue Commissioners. Fundraising Ireland has no staff and The Wheel provides secretariat services in terms of administrative, logistical and event management support.

Board of Directors

Fundraising Ireland has developed a governance structure that ensures its board of directors will be elected from amongst the organizations membership (fee-paying membership programme to be rolled out during 2010). The governance structure and election process can be read here. Following its first board elections in June 2009, the current members of the board are:

1. Aisling Hurley - Director of Development, Royal College of Surgeons in Irelnad
2. Mark Carrigan - Brakely Consulting
3. Jill Clark - Irish Cancer Society
4. Harvey Duthie - Executive Director, CCS Fundraising
5. Deirdre Garvey - Chief Executive Officer, The Wheel
6. Molly Morrisson - Director of Fundraising, ISPCC
7. Gaby Murphy - Managing Director, Kanchi
8. Mary O'Kennedy - O'Kennedy Consulting
9. Aidan Stacey - Head of Fundraising, Irish Hearth Foundation

Meet the board...

Company Details

Fundraising Ireland is the trading name of the company limited by guarantee not having share capital 'The Fundraising Professionals Network Ireland Limited'. It is registered in Dublin, Ireland, with registered address C/O The Wheel, irish Social Finance Centre, 10 Grattan Crescent, Inchicore, Dublin 8. It has company number 472339.