Brendan Smith on Philanthropy, Donor Stability and Local Giving

Yeah and thank you very much Cairlig and I welcome the witnesses and their presentation obviously in a very important area and of course the foundation nationally throughout all of our country and its member organizations do extremely important work on behalf of so many areas where there's disadvantage and of course over the course of the pandemic we've become more and more aware of the increasing violence, domestic violence etc. there are so many areas that need particular interventions and particular support but one issue I'm glad that you outlined there that you support some areas to try to counteract domestic violence and gender-based violence as well and that's very welcome. Could I just say I presume when you run programs that you need a multi-annual commitment from donors and sponsors and I presume that that's not easy to always achieve because all of us know that sometimes a program running on the basis of getting funding on an annual basis doesn't it doesn't need to go to good planning it doesn't need to the stability or the continuity in planning and providing the particular services and I'd just like to know does that pose a problem in a lot of instances now I'm taken with the figure you quoted in regard to New Zealand and the sponsorship in our country is other particular tax incentives or is there a very good program of awareness created by government or by local authorities or statutory agencies in regard to the need for businesses and people who are in a position to support good causes to make those contributions. Now I would have always been of the opinion that as a country here we are very generous in supporting good causes and I know that from my work on the foreign affairs committee of the ROCKDAS over the years when where we would have had constant dialogue and communication and meetings with the NGOs say Troke or Concern Oxfam they would always quote the very good response that there is from this country both at a state level and also from our state level and also from our individual citizens in regard to disasters that occur right throughout the world not just at home be it famine or other disasters to help the most needy. And one other thing your foundation I presume when you talk about philanthropy you mean being supportive of good causes. I presume general sponsorship if a sponsorship of sporting organisations at local level sponsorship of different events and we know in every parish village throughout this island there are people sponsoring generously good local causes be it sport or other endeavours as well. How much of this sponsorship philanthropy do you think do you capture in your figures on this island because we all know that there will be different events held to mark particular occasions or to help out where some particular family or individual comes upon particularly difficult times. And you know we all know of very good work that's done at local community level and at county level as well. So would that would those type of events be captured in the figures that you quote for the Community Foundation. Now I could talk about the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund. Sadly so many Irish people have died abroad the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund has been phenomenal in assisting families to get loved ones back who have passed on and subsequently in that parish or in that area there would be a fundraiser to support the Kevin Bell Repatriation Fund to ensure that it's adequately resourced to deal with unfortunately the next tragedy that will happen. So would for instance and that's not just an isolated type of event. There are common different causes merit fundraising at different times in local communities. So I'd be just interested to know how much of that type of good support and generous giving gift giving is captured in your figures. One question I said earlier I presume that the figures that are quoted in regard to the allocation of funding the support of different very worthy causes that that does not encompass in any way the huge amount of philanthropy sponsorship you know both at local and national level that our country and communities are involved in. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know how you could quantify it or capture it in figures but I wouldn't make a message to go out you know that this country and people often on very stretched incomes are always supportive of good causes you know that's the length and breadth of our country and as I said earlier it's in every parish and in every community and great work is done. And I know that many organisations through this pandemic their revenue streams have been cut very substantially and they face particular difficulties in continuing to provide good services which they are doing in difficult circumstances as well. Just with regard to the very good causes that the foundation supports. Have you worked with any of the groups who are strong advocates for victims of the troubles and the wave trauma group and other groups who have been working along with families and victims of the troubles over the years. Have you had any particular projects that have helped people through ongoing difficult circumstances. Thank you. Thank you.