Foundation events commence Philanthropy Week

Two high profile events from the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland have marked the start of Philanthropy Week 2011.

On Monday, November 28, a special event at the residence of the US Consul General in Belfast saw the launch of a specially commissioned report looking at the state of local philanthropy.

Compiled by consultants RSM McClure Waters, the report, titled, The Philanthropy Market in Northern Ireland, has been produced by the Vision in Philanthropy Partnership with the support of the Building Change Trust.

Report recommendations include developing support for philanthropic peer networks, enhancing corporate philanthropy and creating value-based propositions with donors to enhance their giving experience.

To download a copy of the report, please click here:

At a special breakfast event for advisors at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast on Tuesday, November 29, Emma Turner from Barclay's Wealth gave a lively and informative overview of her work with almost 150 high-wealth donors.

Ms Turner provided excellent examples of donor engagement and the approaches taken to help philanthropists take measured and impactful steps on their giving journeys.

Afterwards, a panel discussion, led by James Magowan, saw Professor Sir George Bain, Michael Graham from Cleaver Fulton Rankin and Helen McKeever from the Community Foundation field a variety of questions from the fifty strong crowd of professional advisors, lawyers and community affairs experts.

Philanthropy Week events continued afterwards, as Arts and Business NI also hosted a cultural fundraiser masterclass at the Golden Threads Gallery, with Philip Spedding, Senior Manager  for Individual and International Giving at Arts and Busines, and Emma Turner from Barclay's Wealth giving the benefit of their experiences to local cultural philanthropists.

Tomorrow, Impact Philanthropy, the Northern Ireland Trusts Group Open Forum, supported by the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland, will take place at Clifton House in north Belfast and finally, Thursday sees a Giving Circle Round Table, facilitated by Give Inc and supported by the Ulster Business School and the School for Social Enterprises in Ireland at the University of Ulster's Belfast campus.

Philanthropy Week NI is organised by the Vision in Philanthropy Partnership, with the support of the Building Change Trust, and aims to raise the profile of philanthropy and intelligent charitable giving across Northern Ireland.

The Vision in Philanthropy Partnership comprises Arts and Business NI, The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Heritage Lottery Fund, The Lloyds TSB Foundation, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Ulster Community Investment Trust.