Welcome to Fundraising Ireland's Autumn-Winter Newsletter 2009
The last few months have proved to be a busy time for the newly enlarged Board of Fundraising Ireland as we made plans for developing our membership programme; organised the recent 'Major Gifts in a Major Recession" seminar and jointly organised the National Fundraising Awards with The Wheel, which took place on October 20th in the Four Seasons. We are now busy developing the programme for the National Fundraising Conference which will take place in Croke Park on the 24th March 2010. We have noted your feedback and comments from last year's Conference and will be taking all your views into account as we decide on the overall focus, theme and speakers for March. Please feel free to contact us with your speaker or session suggestions by e-mailing info@fundraisingireland.ie
As always this issue is full of news and updates relevant to fundraisers, with many articles coming from our readers. Please remember that we want to hear from you so if you would like to include something in our next edition or have suggestions for speakers or content for the conference simply email: info@fundraisingireland.ie.
National Fundraising Awards Announced
On the 20th October 2009 RTE personality Mary Kennedy hosted the 2nd National Fundraising Awards in the Four Seasons Hotel, Ballsbridge. Again, this year the calibre of nominations was outstanding. After long deliberations the winners chosen were: Michael Sheridan of the Mercy University Hospital Foundation (Fundraiser of the Year - Large Organisations), Michael Hilary (Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year - under € 100,000 raised), Patrick Burke for Simon Communities of Ireland (Fundraising Campaign of The Year - Large Organisations), Stuart McLaughlin of Business to Arts (Fundraiser of the Year - Small Organisations), Margaret Gill for Self Help Africa (Voluntary Fundraiser of the Year - over €100,000 raised) and Sheila Campbell of The Down Syndrome Centre (Fundraising Campaign of The Year - Small Organisations).
We would like to thank all those organisations and individuals who submitted nominations, the Judges were hugely impressed by the quality and quantity of entries. A huge congratulations to all those shortlisted and of course in particular to our category winners. Fundraising Ireland and the Wheel would like to thank all the Sponsors for their generous support and the Judges for completing such a tough task! Further details on the categories and winners is available at www.fundraisingawards.ie
Irish Fundraising on the International Stage!
by Mary O'Kennedy, Chair of Fundraising Ireland
Fundraising Ireland becomes the newest member of the EFA (The European Fundraising Association)
Last month Fundraising Ireland became an official member of the EFA, the umbrella organisation for fundraising associations across Europe. The EFA was set up in 2002 to promote best practice in fundraising across Europe in relation to training, education and ethical fundraising. Members are now drawn from 15 countries, among them Austria, France, UK, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Norway, Germany, Poland and now Ireland! The annual EFA Skillshare event will take place in Barcelona on November 13th and Fundraising Ireland will be present to hear from the heads of many European Associations on topics including "How to Keep Members Engaged"; "Governance and Management of Fundraising Associations" and "Keeping Focused on Mission and Vision". We hope that our membership of the EFA and our attendance at this Skillshare event will ensure that we are able to offer you all the best programmes, guidance and advice as we get ever closer to launching our own membership programme in February 2010. See www.efa-net.eu for further details.
The Irish go Dutch!
The IFC (International Fundraising Congress) organised by the Resource Alliance, took place in Holland from the 20th-23rd October 2009. The IFC brings together over 1,500 fundraisers from across the world to hear and learn from a host of top international fundraisers over the course of 4 days. A number of Irish organisations were represented at this year's Congress including the Children's Medical and Research Foundation, St Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired, Barnardos, Irish Cancer Society, National Gallery of Ireland, Ask Direct and Temple Street Children's Hospital. The feedback from all the Irish participants was that it was a hugely beneficial and enjoyable Congress - both from a learning and networking perspective, with many of the Irish contingent seen socialising late into the night at the 'Pirate' themed gala dinner and disco!! Johann Fox, Children's Medical and Research Foundation, commented "I thought the IFC was a fantastic event and I will be recommending it to all my colleagues and friends in the sector".
Fundraising Ireland were delighted to be able to offer members of our database £200 off this year's Conference cost and we hope to continue our association and discounted rates with the IFC next October, when the 30th Anniversary IFC will again take place in Noordwijk in Holland. See www.resource-alliance.org/ifc for further details.
Anyone for Aussie (or Scottish) Rules?
On a separate note, I was fortunate enough to meet a man from the Australian Fundraising Institute at the IFC and the Aussie's would be delighted to welcome any Fundraising Ireland members to their 3-day Conference taking place in Adelaide in February. The Conference will be available at a very special discounted price so if anyone was thinking of taking a holiday in Oz maybe you could meet our fellow fundraisers while you are there!? If you are interested in getting further details please contact info@fundraisingireland.ie
Closer to home, the Scottish National Fundraising Conference takes place in Glasgow from the 11th-12th November. Delegates can choose to attend for 1 or 2 days and have a choice of over 40 sessions over the course of the Conference. If you are interested in attending please contact info@fundraisingireland.ie and we will negotiate a rate on your behalf!
Torrid times ahead for charities in receipt of statutory funding
By: Ivan Cooper, Director of Advocacy with The Wheel
Government appears committed to seeking expenditure cuts of over €4Bn in 2010. If implemented, this proposal will see €1.3Bn being taken out of the public service wages and pensions bill, another €1.3Bn from social welfare expenditure and yet another €1.3Bn from general services budgets. These are quite staggering reductions for charities and community groups to be digesting in one year. Service-providing charities and community and voluntary organisations are going to find themselves coping with steeply increasing levels of need while themselves facing potentially very severe income reductions in 2010.
The Wheel, along with our sixteen colleague organisations in the Community and Voluntary Pillar in the national social partnership process met with Taoiseach Brian Cowan and Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin on Tuesday 27th October to outline our serious concern at the lack of justice and fairness in the Government's proposed approach to achieve national recovery.
We argued strongly that an increased tax take needed to form part of a balanced solution if vulnerable people and the services they depend on are to be protected on the way to national recovery.
The CV Pillar argued that we need an integrated approach to the adjustment, pointing out that Irelands total tax take will likely be only 29% of GDP in 2009, with Eurostat (the EU's official statistics agency) recognizing that a country is officially a low tax economy when its tax take is less than 35% of GDP. Ireland in other words is becoming a super-low tax country - and it appears that Government is set to ensure that Irish people have super-low levels of public services to match.
The Pillar pointed out that if implemented in full, the recommendations of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes would decimate public services and impose a wholly disproportionate share of the burden of adjustment on poor and vulnerable people.
The Pillar argued strongly that if we are to protect vulnerable people and fund services during the adjustment we require a five-point integrated recovery strategy consisting of a combination of
- Increasing the tax take
- Securing better value for money in the delivery of our public services
- Reforming the public sector
- Targeted expenditure cuts that ensure that vulnerable people are protected.
- Focusing expenditure on the common good to provide required infrastructure and public services.
The Wheel and our colleagues in the Pillar will be working hard in the run up to the budget to continue to argue for a more balanced approach to recovery - one that includes eliminating the many tax breaks identified by the Commission on Taxation for example.
While we all have to keep working hard to protect the public funding that community and voluntary organisations depend on to provide services and supports for the people we serve, it is also time for all charities to look at innovative ways to reduce their costs, identify new ways of meeting clients need (perhaps through collaborative activity) and identify new ways of working that will attract new income streams to fund our work. ivan@wheel.ie.
Simon Community to benefit from Denny Campaign
Denny is inviting people in Ireland to share what home means to them and some of the most interesting stories will be used in their 2010 ad campaign, with each entry resulting in a donation to the Simon Community.
Simon is hoping to raise a six figure sum from this campaign. The public can contribute by uploading what home means to them on www.homeis.ie or by texting 51444. A donation will also be made for every advert that is filmed.
Tricia Burke of Denny says "Home is more than a roof and four walls. Home is what is inside those walls, your favourite cup, a special spot on the sofa, or even a song that reminds you of home. We want to make the public part of our story by showcasing real homes in our TV ads next year and by simply sharing with us." Denny is part of the Kerry Group.
New Stream
By Rowena Neville, Director of Marketing & PR, Business to Arts
New Stream is a project supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and operated by Business to Arts. The Project is a culmination of many years of partnership between Business to Arts and its stakeholders. Our core mission of developing creative partnerships has allowed us to come into contact with some of the very best thinking in culture, in business, and among those who support both communities.
The project is based around five individual streams of activity which will provide subsidised access to training, strategy development and information, while creating a platform for greater collaboration within the sector. From the outset of the project, we will be delivering fundraising training with the experts at Forimpact.org, with whom we have worked to tailor a programme for the Irish market.
We will also work with Genesis, a marketing and organizational development consultancy who have previous experience with the cultural and not-for-profit sectors as well as a wealth of Irish businesses. Genesis will create fundraising and marketing strategies, helping organisations to engage with potential investors more effectively.
As we develop the programme we will collaborate with partners including Salesforce, Google, PwC, Mason Hayes+Curran, CultureLabel and many others.
New Stream will continue to develop based on feedback from participants, and will be evaluated in association with the UCD-based MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management. This will ensure that it achieves high standards and identifies opportunities for improvement and change.
For further information please contact Rowena Neville in Business to Arts or go to http://www.businesstoarts.ie/pdfs/NewStream_Programme.pdf
Research on Legacies
By: Niall O'Sullivan, Head of Fund Development, Community Foundation for Ireland
The Community Foundation for Ireland is undertaking a new piece of research on the area of charitable bequests. Would you consider taking part in the online survey on behalf of your charity. Bequests are growing in importance within fundraising and philanthropy in Ireland. This survey is the first of its kind and will provide baseline information which should help inform the growth of this area. The report will be available to all on completion.
Click here to take part. If you have any queries, please contact Niall O'Sullivan on 01-874 7354 or Email: nosullivan@foundation.ie
In tandem with the survey of charities, additional desk research and a survey of professional advisors such as solicitors is also being undertaken.
Fundraising Codes of Practice
Fundraising Ireland has a place on the newly formed Steering Group for the project to implement the regulation of fundraising through codes of practice, which is being led by the ICTR. Our nominee, Jill Clark from the Irish Cancer Society, is working hard on all our behalf and we will carry an update in a future newsletter.
Your news or comments
We encourage you to send us your fundraising related news to info@fundraisingireland.ie so we can include it in our next addition. Similarly, your suggestions on how we can improve Fundraising Ireland are always welcome.
Fundraising Ireland November 2009 Newsletter (PDF, 125KB)
Fundraising Ireland July 2009 Newsletter (PDF, 125KB)
Fundraising Ireland May 2009 Newsletter (PDF, 102KB)
Fundraising Ireland November 2008 Newsletter (PDF, 102KB)
Fundraising Ireland October 2008 Newsletter (PDF, 102KB)
Fundraising Ireland September 2008 Newsletter (PDF, 109KB)
Fundraising Ireland July 2008 Newsletter (PDF, 101KB)
Fundraising Ireland February 2008 Newsletter (PDF, 256KB)
Fundraising Ireland Christmas 2007 Newsletter (PDF, 256KB)
Fundraising Ireland September 2007 Newsletter (PDF, 81.2KB)