In April, The Intel Foundation donated a total of €500,000 to Irish charities to support coronavirus relief and recovery efforts. The donation was made to The Community Foundation for Ireland to support their Covid-19 Response Fund which aimed at the immediate needs of organisations impacted by the pandemic crisis. Part of the Intel donation was specifically allocated by The Community Foundation for Ireland to organisations in Intel's local area.
In addition to this donation being made to The Community Foundation for Ireland, the Intel Foundation established a special donation matching campaign to amplify the contributions of their employees in Ireland. Intel employees who donate to CMRF Crumlin, ALONE or Jigsaw will have their donation matched. These efforts are part of a wider global response by Intel which includes a donation of 1 million gloves, masks and other equipment to healthcare workers and a $1 million International Red Cross donation Intel committed to in January.
Covid-19 Response Fund
The Community Foundation for Ireland started a Covid-19 Response Fund in March to direct philanthropic support towards community and voluntary sector organisations in Ireland which are supporting vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, homeless and those with respiratory issues, in the escalating Covid-19 situation. The Fund was commenced with some of it's own grant monies and a number of donors have already pledged their support to The Fund, which already exceeds €1.5 million, this is in addition to the nearly €6 million raised through RTE does Comic Relief.
In April the Covid-19 Response Fund opened for applications from community groups who are supporting vulnerable communities through the pandemic. Grants from €1,000 to €10,000 were made available for organisations supporting vulnerable groups. More information on the Fund and the grants that were distributed can be found here.