First Annual Report on Fundraising in Ireland Launched

03 November 2010

2into3, Non-profit sector specialists, in conjunction with Mason Hayes+Curran (MH+C) one of Ireland’s top six law firms, today launched the first report on fundraising performance in the non-profit sector in Ireland.

This study represents the first analysis of the effects of the economic downturn on income. A key finding from the report identified that philanthropic or fundraised income is down 13% year on year.  

This research by 2into3 is based on figures from the annual accounts of 90 non-profit organisations. The research allows CEO's and fundraisers to get an overall view of the condition of the sector in 2009, and to determine their own fundraising performance compared to that of other similar nonprofits.

  The past number of years has brought about wide-ranging changes in the non-profit sector in Ireland, with government expenditure and private donations both falling, but demand for services increasing. On average, organisations within the sector experienced a 13% decline in fundraised income. However, this differs across subsectors, with social services organisations in the sample actually experiencing an average increase in income of over 5%. Education and research institutions were especially badly hit, experiencing a drop in fundraised income of over 40%. Leaving aside the major state support, about 70% of income comes from either regular donations or major donors. It was also identified that it costs an average of about 20.3 cent to raise every one euro of fundraised income, which is comparable internationally.

Launching the report, 2into3’s Founding Director, Dennis O’Connor also said:

  “Clearly the fundraising climate is challenging with a near 13% fall across the board but the social services sector registered an increase as did a range of individual organisations so there are actions that Non-profits can take to improve performance by diversifying income streams, nurturing donor relations and reducing costs” .

Commenting on the report, Kevin Hoy, Partner and Head of MH+C’s Charities Law Team said:

  “The Report highlights the importance of organisations having appropriate structures to support sustainable operations. It is also interesting that the Irish sample had fundraising costs comparable with those in other countries.”

  The report is available for download in the members area.