First Meeting of New National Philanthropy Advisory Group

The first meeting of the National Advisory Group on the Development of a Government Policy on Philanthropy in Ireland recently took place. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Rural and Community Development, Joe O’ Brien TD.

This meeting follows an independent report commissioned by the Department of Rural and Community Development entitled The Landscape of Philanthropic Giving in Ireland which was published in November 2021.

The Department also facilitated a Workshop for a broad spectrum of stakeholders, in association with the European Research Network on Philanthropy in December last year.

The suggestion of forming a National Advisory Group on the Development of a Government Policy on Philanthropy in Ireland was overwhelmingly supported by Government and by the philanthropy sector. As a result, this group has now been established and is representative of a range of stakeholders.

Speaking after the meeting, Minister O’Brien stated:

“I have seen first-hand the power of philanthropy to support positive societal and environmental change from my 20 years working in the community and voluntary sector.

“There is huge untapped potential for growing philanthropy in Ireland and I believe that a national policy will support this growth and create a positive and supportive environment for philanthropy. 

“One of my Department’s key strategic objectives is to enable the philanthropic sector to contribute fully to civil society. A key factor in this work is the development of an impactful and enabling National Policy on Philanthropy for Ireland. Through the development of a shared vision for philanthropy, we will also get a wider understanding of the value of philanthropic giving to society.

“Collaboration between philanthropists, grant-makers, government and civil society will underpin the development of this policy.   As chair of the Advisory Group, I look forward to working in collaboration with the expert members who represent all aspects of philanthropy in developing a national policy.”

The Advisory Group will work collaboratively to draft a national policy on philanthropy.

When the draft policy is developed, there will be an opportunity for public consultation, before the strategy is finalised.