Message from the Chair

It is an honour to be Chairman of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and to lead an organisation that has been at the forefront of philanthropy for some 30 years.

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland's mission is to improve quality of life by enabling communities to tackle social need and divisions.

We are Northern Ireland’s largest independent grant-making organisation.

We continue to be involved in an extraordinary range of work which has been recognised both locally and internationally.

The Foundation faces many challenges, particularly during the current economic climate which impacts much more on families and communities in need.

Individual and corporate charitable giving generally falls in times of recession and this exacerbates pressure on voluntary and community-sector organisations already experiencing a decline in government funding.

Thus, whilst demand for our support and services – which impact on the lives of the most disadvantaged people in our society – will increase, there is a tightening of the public and private resources available to support this work.

Funding and supporting communities has meant liberating the talent, skills and resources of local people to tackle the problems that they experience on a daily basis.

Engaging in this process has been a powerful experience for so many - enabling them to develop from small groups, often held together solely by the bonds of friendship and the commitment to make life better for their children, to more confident organisations tackling some of the worst effects of poverty at a local level and able to take advantage of financial opportunities.

Supporting small beginnings remains at the heart of what the Community Foundation does, including helping people on the margins, who often have no voice and little stake in mainstream society

Now more than ever, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland demonstrates how it can add value to charitable giving through its in-depth knowledge of the sector and its needs. We are able to act strategically yet flexibly, getting to the root causes of issues.

Most importantly, by managing a diverse portfolio of funds and pooling disparate giving, we achieve an economy of scale and a critical mass to effect real and lasting change. We take great pride in our role in facilitating this “strategic philanthropy”.

If you would like to become involved in the important work of the Foundation, either as a donor or as a volunteer, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Tony McCusker

Chairman, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland