The Ireland Funds, the global philanthropic network, has opened applications for its Heart of the Community Fund 2024, which will provide funding to organisations delivering services and supports to people across the island of Ireland. Applications are open until 3rd May 2024.
The Ireland Funds recognises the challenges organisations face in securing support to build capacity or meet their core costs, so for this grant round, it will provide Organisational Investment Grants with a total of at least €500,000.
In 2024, The Ireland Funds will place particular emphasis on applications within its four pillars of Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, and Peace & Reconciliation, with a focus on fostering community integration and inclusion through initiatives centred around ‘Belonging’. Additionally, priority will be given to projects addressing youth and family support needs, encompassing areas such as youth clubs, food provision, and mental health services.
The Heart of the Community Fund 2024 will continue to respond to the not-for-profit sector by encouraging organisations to present their unique needs for funding consideration, be that operational or programmatic. Grants between €5,000-25,000 will be awarded.
Siobhán Gallagher, Executive Director of The Ireland Funds said: “The Heart of the Community Fund is a lifeline for non-profit organisations providing crucial services. As we open the 2024 grant round, The Ireland Funds reaffirms its commitment to community initiatives and will support resilient, compassionate, and innovative projects with practical assistance and financial backing. Thanks to the steadfast generosity of The Ireland Funds’ donors, we can empower organisations offering meaningful support to those in need.”
The Ireland Funds will host an Information Session about the Heart of the Community Fund 2024 and how to apply at UCC, Cork on 22nd April; at AIB, Molesworth Street, Dublin on 24th April; and at the 174 Trust, Belfast on 25th April. To register or find out more, please visit: irelandfunds.org/grants
Through the Heart of the Community Fund 2023, €930,000 ($1,000,000) was awarded to 94 organisations in 24 counties across the island of Ireland.
Organisations in the Republic of Ireland that received funding through the Heart of the Community Fund in 2023 include AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity; Belvedere Youth Club, which works with marginalised young people in Dublin’s North-East Inner City; Sensational Kids CLG in Kildare, which provides timely intervention and vital therapeutic supports to children with additional needs on long waiting lists; the Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick and many more.
Among the organisations in Northern Ireland that received funding through the Heart of the Community Fund in 2023 include the Lyric Theatre, the Integrated Education Fund which supports the establishment of new integrated schools; WOMEN’STEC which supports vulnerable women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds to improve their life opportunities, and Ardoyne Youth Club.