Case Studies

The Co Monaghan Fund - Local Giving at its Best

In 2004, The Co Monaghan Fund was established. Chaired by well-known local businessman, Frank Cosgrove, a county endowment fund of around €250,000 has already been put in place. Among its projects, The Monaghan Fund has already funded a successful entrepreneurship programme for students in the secondary schools in the county and made an initial grant of €1,000 to Croí. This helped Croí to source an additional €100,000 and clearly demonstrates the value of a fund being in place to provide such ‘philanthropic seed capital’. A number of donors are leading this initiative and in late 2006 a Development Officer was hired to advance the fund.

Harry Byrne

Harry Byrne is a board member at The Community Foundation for Ireland. He retired from Guinness Ireland as Assistant Managing Director in 1996. He is currently Chairman of the Iveagh Trust, a Trustee of several Pension Schemes and Council Member at the Eye & Ear Hospital. Harry’s daughter, Alison, tragically died in her thirties. She had worked as a doctor and Harry has established The Dr Alison Byrne Fund in her memory which now supports medical related projects. "As a Director of The Foundation I see the important contribution the income from the endownment funds makes for so many community groups through the country and this inspired me to set up the Alison Byrne fund."

Beneficiaries to date have included The Alzheimer Society Of Ireland - to help fund social outings for those with alzheimers and their carers; the Bray Cancer Support and Information Centre - to fund the purchase of a equipment and The Myasthenia Gravis Association - to organise a get-together for myasthenics of all ages to inform them medically and socially to improve their quality of life and to counter the isolation felt by many myasthenic sufferers.