Stronger All-Island communities focus of new fund
Community Foundations join forces in All-Island Fund
New Fund launched by Minister Simon Coveney
Linking voluntary, community and charitable groups on both sides of the border is the focus of a new All-Island Community Fund which seeks to promote stronger and more effective voices from civil society.
The result of a partnership between The Community Foundation for Ireland and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland the new fund has gone live today (Thursday 1st April 2021) with a launch by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, TD.
Groups from the South and the North are being invited to come together and apply for grants of up to €20,000. The funding is to support greater co-operation, awareness and stronger more effective advocacy for those communities which have in the past not been heard or excluded.
Launched on a pilot basis the €500,000 fund will invite proposals from those working on a range of issues – including gender-based violence, children’s rights and protections as well as climate change. Communities can also seek support in responding to the impact of Covid-19 as well as the implications of Brexit.
The overall aim is to strengthen the voices of those who in the past have not been heard, including those of young people, women and diverse communities.
Applications are being invited across three strands, up to €5,000, up to €10,000 and up to €20,000 in an approach aimed at ensuring a broad range of groups are covered – in terms of size, work which may already be underway as well as new partnerships.
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland said:
“Covid-19, climate change, domestic violence, inequality are challenges which do not respect borders – that has been brought into absolute focus over the past 12-months. Effective responses to each also should not be inhibited by borders. With the new All-Island Community Fund we are inviting volunteers, communities and charities in both jurisdictions to come together to share knowledge, research and know-how for the benefit of all. It is a new and exciting development which we believe will ensure that everyone’s voice will be heard in finding solutions to the challenges we face as an island.”
Siofra Healy, Director of Philanthropy at Community Foundation for Northern Ireland added:
“We are excited to be a partner on the All-Island Fund. We already work on an East-West basis, with funders at a UK and global level so it makes absolute sense to support opportunities for North-South collaboration at grass roots level.
“This fund aims to build our relationships and knowledge of civil society on an all-Island basis, support the sector with flexible funding to engage in innovation and new collaborative ways of working and to build relationships and work with new funders and other Foundations, learning from each other as we progress.”
Full details of the All-Island Fund can be found at www.communityfoundation.ie and www.commuinityfoundtionni.org
