To mark International Day of Education on January 24th here are some highlights of the significant contributions and impacts created by our generous donors. The importance of education is clearly reflected in that education received the highest amount of funding of any social issue area last year with over €2.5m given out in grants, as per our recent Impact Report. Education is an important area that donors are eager to contribute to.
Education was also top of the list for the amount of grants awarded with 131 in total. These grants covered a diverse range of the population and charities from early childhood learning all the way up to training initiatives for older persons, it’s clear that education is a resource that benefits every member of society.
Our 2019 VitalSigns report highlighted the importance of early childhood development as it replaced access to healthcare as the top key issue facing the country compared with ithe 2017 VitalSigns report. A recent fund that has contributed to education isThe Pyjama Day Fund. In 2019 the Fund from Early Childhood Ireland gave out €280,000 to five worthy organisations who support children with additional needs and learning difficulties.
Education for all
Making the right to education a reality for all is still a priority for our donors and our organisaiton. Education is a key pathway to improving wellbeing, reducing or preventing mental health problems and improving people’s quality of life. However, there are still groups in our society such as ethnic minorities who face greater barriers to accessing education as well as other services. The refugee crisis is an issue near the top of many donors priorities and one of the most effective ways to alleviate this is through education programmes and initiatives.
One such example of strategic donor grant making was when an anonymous donor family decided to fund the The Irish Refugee Council with a grant of €30,000. The project increases access to education opportunities for people seeking asylum in Ireland and who are living in Direct Provision whereby they are supported through information provision, access to funding, group and one to one mentoring and advocacy.
The project saw 100 young people introduced to education opportunities they otherwise would not have been able to access and also included five Universities and colleges create scholarship schemes for refugees and asylum seekers. This is a welcome sign of progress as the price of Third Level education and associated costs remains an obstacle to many, even with student grants.
Another group who have benefitted from education programmes through our funding are older persons through our dedicated fund to empower and champion older people’s participation as active citizens in their communities.
One of many examples is the €250,000 which was awarded to CRAOL, the organisation for community radio stations. The funding was used to train a number of older people as broadcasters and empower them to represent themselves on the airwaves. They used the opportunity to speak about issues that affected them like ending the compulsory retirement age at 65. It’s clear to see that the phrase “it’s never too late to learn” still rings true.
Jack Byrne of CRAOL said the project has “broken new ground in collaboration between philanthropy and citizens communication, we believe both parties can gain increased experience by continuing to collaborate in this unique work.”
Education for the future
Elsewhere, we have seen many coding and other digital technology initiatives set up for disadvantaged and underrepresented young people through funding from our donors and corporate partners. Enhancing their digital skills will increase their chances of progressing to further education and also job opportunities as they will be equipped with 21st century skills.
The meaningful use of digital technologies will help students engage in self-directed learning so that they become knowledge constructors and creators for others in future. This shows commendable foresight from donors to help support the long-term needs of young people and highlights how strategic philanthropy can be used as a tool to foster the next generation.
Education represents the best opportunity for social mobility and reducing poverty. Access to education continues to be an important area for The Community Foundation for Ireland and our donors and an area we hope to continue to fund into the future.
If you would like to find out more about supporting the work of The Community Foundation for Ireland or a particular project, such as those listed above, please get in touch at info@foundation.ie or visit our Giving section.