Where Philanthropy Fits: Reflections from Ireland’s First National Philanthropy Awareness Event

The first National Philanthropy Awareness Event marked an important moment in the evolution of philanthropy in Ireland, offering a clearer sense of how conversations already taking place across the sector are beginning to come together in a more structured way.

Held at the RDS and hosted by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in partnership with the National Philanthropy Policy team, the event brought together over 300 representatives from government, philanthropy, civil society, corporates and communities.

At its core, the discussion centred on a deceptively simple question: where does philanthropy fit within Ireland’s wider system of public value and social impact?

What became clear throughout the day was a shift in framing — from philanthropy as funding, to philanthropy as part of a wider ecosystem of collaboration, innovation and public value.

Below, we reflect on four key insights from the day.

Philanthropy is increasingly understood as part of a wider ecosystem

A strong theme from the day was that philanthropy is already contributing meaningfully to public outcomes in Ireland, but is still often under-recognised for the full breadth of its potential and indeed its current impact.

Opening the event, Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighted that philanthropy is most effective when it is “active, purposeful and engaged.” This framing ran through many of the discussions, particularly around how philanthropy can complement public systems.

Speakers repeatedly emphasised that philanthropy is not about replacing public funding or responsibility. Instead, it plays a distinct role in enabling innovation, supporting early-stage ideas, responding flexibly to emerging needs, and helping to build evidence for what works.

These dynamics were reflected in contributions from organisations such as Citywise Education and 5Ten Trust and from corporates including Deloitte, SSE Airtricity and Vodafone, who throughout the day demonstrated how collaborative models are already delivering impact across education, community development and social inclusion. 

What is becoming clearer is that philanthropy is increasingly being understood not as a standalone activity, but as part of a broader public value ecosystem.

Partnership is moving from principle to practice

A second key theme was the growing focus on what partnership between the State and philanthropy actually looks like in practice, and what is required to make it work.

Senior civil servants including Bairbre Nic Aongusa and Liz Canavan offered honest reflections on the realities of collaboration between government and philanthropy. Their contributions highlighted the importance of trust, clarity of roles, and shared expectations, particularly where systems, timelines and incentives differ.

Across the day, there was a consistent recognition that collaboration is not straightforward. It requires time, patience, and a willingness to work through complexity rather than around it.

At the same time, there was a clear sense of momentum. From structured partnerships to emerging frameworks, the conversation is increasingly moving from why collaboration matters to how it can be done well and sustained in practice.

Place-based and targeted philanthropy is gaining clarity and confidence

A further theme was the growing emphasis on place-based and targeted approaches to giving.

Pádraic Vallely of Rethink Ireland highlighted the importance of place-based philanthropy, alongside contributions from Jackie Harrison of the Community Foundation of Ireland, Samantha Briody of the Sunflower Foundation and Alexandra Ingvarsson of JPMorganChase.

Together, these perspectives point to a sector increasingly focused not only on the scale of giving, but on its specificity — where, how and for whom it is most effective.

This reflects a maturing philanthropic landscape in Ireland, where the conversation is moving beyond broad commitments to impact, towards more intentional, locally grounded and evidence-informed approaches.

Early investment and opportunity creation remain powerful levers

A memorable moment of the day came from Lady Mary Peters of the Mary Peters Trust, whose reflections on supporting young athletes highlighted the long-term value of early intervention.

Her message underlined a familiar reality in many sectors: potential is often there, but opportunity does not always arrive at the right time.

This idea resonated strongly across discussions, reinforcing the importance of philanthropic investment in early-stage opportunity creation, particularly where traditional systems may not yet reach.

Looking ahead: from awareness to application

Closing the event, Minister of State Jerry Buttimer confirmed the Government’s continued commitment to strengthening collaboration through the development of a Framework for Collaboration between Government, philanthropy and civil society, supported by €3 million in Dormant Accounts Funding to test and develop practical approaches.

He emphasised that the next phase of the National Philanthropy Policy will focus not only on awareness, but on enabling more structured and effective partnership in practice.

For us at OKC, one of the strongest reflections from the day was that Ireland is now entering a more mature phase of its philanthropic development, where the focus is shifting from evolving practice transformational impact.

Having previously sat on the Capacity Building sub-group supporting the implementation of the National Philanthropy Policy, OKC Managing Director Mary O’Kennedy is now delighted to join the Communications and Awareness Raising sub-group. At OKC, we often talk about the importance of friend-raising before fundraising, and this focus on strengthening philanthropic awareness, understanding and public engagement feels like a particularly fitting continuation of that work.

As Ireland continues to implement the National Philanthropy Policy 2024–2028, the opportunity now is not only to grow philanthropy, but to ensure it is better understood, more connected, and more effectively embedded within the systems and communities it seeks to support.