Largest charity campaign needs just one per cent

OVER 100 charities in Dublin have signed up to a new national campaign that encourages Irish people and business to commit just one per cent of their income, profits or time to a cause they believe in.

The 1% Difference Campaign launched recently by the Forum on Philanthropy and Fundraising calls on sports and arts organisations and charities across the city to register and become part of a new national movement.

The campaign is one of the largest and most significant public awareness campaigns of its type ever undertaken in Ireland.

It was launched in Dublin by Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Minister Phil Hogan TD, and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, founder of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice and UN Special Envoy for African Great Lakes.

The event was attended by individuals from across the not-for-profit sector and included well-known individuals including former Irish international, Ronan O’Gara, celebrity chef, Clodagh McKenna and author Fran O’Brien.

Minister Hogan said he was very pleased to launch what he called a major initiative that will play a pivotal role in developing philanthropy and fundraising in Ireland.

“Our not-for-profit organisations will play a defining role in national renewal and will help to build a better Ireland,

? he said.

“The full potential of Ireland’s tradition of giving will now be realised as the culture and infrastructure of Irish philanthropy and fundraising will be transformed over the next four years.

?

While Irish people are recognised globally for their generosity, current evidence from the Report on Philanthropy and Fundraising suggests that only 15 per cent of donors in Ireland give in a regular fashion compared to 36 per cent in the UK.

As a country Ireland also ranks well below many European peers with citizens donating approximately one per cent of their income annually to philanthropic causes, while the Irish figure stands at 0.8 per cent.

The chairman of the Forum on Philanthropy, Frank Flannery said:

“We are aiming to create a national movement of giving with this campaign. This is a critical time for giving as 85 per cent of our philanthropic funds and activities will cease in this country over the next three years.

“We believe that one per cent can make a tangible contribution to local renewal and national recovery in Ireland.

?

Worthy causes in Dublin that have signed up to the campaign include the Glasnevin Cemetery Museum, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the Beaumont Hospital Foundation and UCD Volunteers Overseas.

Seamus Mulconry, Executive Director of Philanthropy Ireland added:

“The concept of 1% Campaign is simple, and we hope it will encourage people to think more about how they give, and how they can make a greater contribution to their communities and the causes they care about.

?

The website www.onepercentdifference.ie has more information.