# Northern Ireland philanthropists urged to speak out

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/04/22/northern-ireland-philanthropists-urged-to-speak-out/
- Published: 2013-04-22T17:37:01+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Northern Ireland’s top business leaders have been urged to speak out about their
charitable activities to help persuade others to follow their lead.

 

Leading philanthropy expert Ellen Remmer, of US-based [The Philanthropic Initiative](http://www.tpi.org/),
said philanthropy in Northern Ireland was being held back because of philanthropists’
desire to be anonymous.

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“One of the biggest challenges will be the very private culture you have in Northern
Ireland. There do not seem to be a lot of donors who are willing to stand up, challenge
and inspire their peers to give,” she told business leaders at an event organised
by the new philanthropic organisation, Giving Northern Ireland in association with
the Institute of Directors.

 

Ms Remmer welcomed the formation of [Giving Northern Ireland](http://www.givingnorthernireland.org/),
which is dedicated to harnessing skills, expertise and resources of corporations
and wealthy individuals, adding it was a significant move towards growing philanthropy
in the years to come.

 

The aim of Giving Northern Ireland will be to encourage individuals and businesses
to not only give more but to also to feel more comfortable speaking about their 
philanthropic activities.

 

“People in Northern Ireland are very reluctant to talk about their generosity but
we need to persuade them that this is the only way to bring philanthropy into the
public consciousness,” said Gary Mills, Director of Giving Northern Ireland.

 

_Photo: [Keeping a secret](http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7387453/stock-photo-woman-in-hat-with-secret-lips.html)
by Andi Berger on shutterstock.com_

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