Groups responding to needs of Ukrainian Refugees invited to apply for support ‘Ireland for Ukraine Fund’ opens for first round of grant applications
Statement by The Community Foundation for Ireland
Groups responding to the needs of Ukrainian people fleeing the war in Ukraine seeking shelter here are being invited to apply for grants from The Ireland for Ukraine Fund through The Community Foundation for Ireland.
Applications are being invited through four strands namely Primary Response, Community Response, Specialised Response as well as Collaborative Response.
The Community Foundation has formed the strands by identifying areas of need through its established network of voluntary, community and charitable partners across the country – many of which are actively supporting people who have left Ukraine with little or no belongings.
The grants, of up to €100,000 are being made available from the Ireland for Ukraine Fund, which represents the combined voice of leading media outlets and has received €5 Million in support from Government. All monies raised are being split 50:50 between addressing need in Ukraine and meeting the needs of people arriving into Ireland.
The grant application strands are:
Strand 1: The Primary Response strand is to support organisations that are responding to the immediate and essential needs of people arriving from Ukraine. Grants of €15,000 are available to eligible organisations that are aiming to adapt and expand their work to support refugees from Ukraine arriving in Ireland. Applications can be for new projects, to upscale and develop ongoing programmes or the enhancement of spaces. The objective of this strand is to support organisations that are responding to the immediate and essential needs of refugees from Ukraine.
Strand 2: The Community Response strand is providing grants of €5,000 or €10,000 to eligible organisations that are aiming to adapt and expand their work to support people fleeing the war in Ukraine and arriving in Ireland. Applications can be for new projects, to upscale and develop ongoing programmes or the enhancement of spaces. The objective of this strand is to support organisations that are responding to the wellbeing and integration needs of refugees from Ukraine on a community level.
Strand 3: The Specialised Response strand is providing grants of €30,000 to eligible organisations that are aiming to adapt and expand their work to support people fleeing the war in Ukraine and arriving in Ireland. Applications can be for new projects, to upscale and develop ongoing programmes or the enhancement of spaces. The objective of this strand is to support organisations who regularly work with vulnerable groups to provide a specialised response to vulnerable groups of refugees from Ukraine.
Strand 4: The Collaborative Response strand is open for networks of charitable organisations that work on a national or regional level. Organisations must be able to demonstrate their current work in supporting people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Grants of €50,000 or €100,000 are available to eligible organisations that are aiming to adapt and expand their network to support those from Ukraine and arriving in Ireland.
Applications can be made through www.communityfoundation.ie. The closing date is 30th June 2022.
Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, welcomed the announcement:
“In towns and villages across the country, our communities and voluntary organisations are playing a vital role in supporting Ukrainian citizens who have fled this awful war.
“The Government is determined to support our communities in response to their efforts. This is demonstrated by the contribution of €5 million to this particular fund, which is part of an overall €10.5 million package announced last week.”
Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD, said:
“Since the onset of this crisis people and organisations have stepped up to help in an unprecedented way. This additional €5 million being provided by Government will further help NGOs to reach those most at need and will provide a range of meaningful and vital supports to assist our communities welcoming people coming from Ukraine’
Announcing the opening of applications, Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland said:
“Since people first start arriving into this country we have been using our well-established network of partners to gather information not only about the immediate and pressing need but also emerging challenges for people arriving from Ukraine. This is a crisis which is continuing to unfold at a rapid pace. As it unfolds the needs have changed, with first arrivals having the support of friends or family here to those who followed with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The range of issues is broad, there are language difficulties, basic need like food, clothing and accommodation as well as recognition of qualifications, access to work and then vulnerabilities of specific groups such as women and children who are at high-risk human trafficking, members of the LGBTQ community, children travelling alone and many others.
Our grant process is structured so that the full range of support services can apply. This includes smaller organisations on the ground operating in their own local community to frontline agencies addressing specific needs often with specialised expertise as well as national charities who can be facilitated to come together and pool their response given the size of this crisis.
It is important to acknowledge that this support would not be available without our media partners who have come together for ‘Ireland for Ukraine’ to amplify awareness as well as the generosity of Government.”