Covid Grants Announced
Community efforts to combat isolation caused by Covid-19 are being supported with grants from private and corporate donors to The Community Foundation for Ireland.
Fitness courses, community gardens, sewing clubs, computer classes, horse-riding therapy, community radio and many more activities are being supported in a round of 65 grants.
Alongside this, The Community Foundation is awarding 17 strategic grants that increase the ability of charities to recover from the enormous pressure of the pandemic.
The grants, totalling €420,000 are from a special Covid-19 Fund which was established by donors and supporters of The Community Foundation. Established in March last year, this is its third round of grants. It continues to see huge levels of demand.
The Foundation links in with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable partners across the country, to identify and respond to emerging challenges. In 2020 it distributed more than €15 Million in grants, a total which is expected to be exceeded this year.
These latest grounds are being issued in two strands.
Strand One
Overcoming Isolation’ will see 64 community groups across the country received funding of up to €3,000. Projects include:
Equine therapy in Co Kerry using connectivity to horses to help people with learning disabilities back into a regular pre-pandemic routine and engagement with the local community
An outdoor space for people with mobility issues for older people attending a day care centre in Ballinasloe
Mindfulness creative art therapy for older women in Donegal
The conversion of a cabin into a gym and yoga room for at risk young people in Dublin 15
See the full list of Overcoming Isolation Grants Here
Strand Two
‘Building Capacity’ is providing 17-grants to support services so that they are in a stronger position to operate post-Covid. Significantly the level of demand for this round was 10-times the available funding. Projects include:
The development of a cancer awareness information and training programme for Travellers by the Marie Keating Foundation
A study to examine the impact of Covid-19 on people at risk of becoming homeless or who have lost their homes in Sligo
To create a sustainability strategy for Rape Crisis Mid-west in Limerick
Develop a digital fund-raising strategy for One in Four to deliver services for children facing abuse and to strengthen the organisation
See full list of Building Capacity Grants Here
Announcing the funding, Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland said:
“Our donors - private individuals, families and corporates - have been responding to the needs of communities through-out this pandemic. With a network of 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable partners built up over 21-years we have been able to respond with strategic and impactful grant-making.
These partnerships give us access to insights and research which alerts us to emerging challenges as well as the formulation and delivery of effective responses and solutions. It is what makes The Community Foundation model unique. With this funding we are responding to isolation which has been a hallmark for all age groups during Covid, as well as increasing the resilience and capability of hard-hit support services to recover post-pandemic.
The huge levels of demand we are experiencing underlines the urgent need for policies which promote and grow philanthropy, bringing Ireland into line with other countries. The Community Foundation remains committed to work with Government to develop a long-promised National Policy on Philanthropy in 2022.”
ENDS