Irish homelessness charity’s income up by €1 million
Howard Lake | 20 December 2016 | News
Homelessness charity Focus Ireland’s fundraising income grew by €1 million last year, according to the charity’s latest accounts.
Fundraising income was €7.4 million, up from €6.4 million in 2014. Total income last year, including mostly government grants, was nearly €22 million, from €19.6 million the previous year.
During the year Focus secured two new significant funding relationships. Bord Gáis Energy began a three-year Corporate Social Responsibility Partnership which will see the company raise awareness, promote volunteering and donate €1 million over three years to the charity’s advice and information services for families. The first phase of this relationship saw Bord Gáis contribute €107,570 to Focus’s fundraising income last year.
During 2015, the Human Dignity Foundation awarded a five year grant to Focus Ireland to deliver a programme of work tackling youth homelessness in Ireland. The Human Dignity Foundation pledged €2.1 million over five years for the Building Youth Capacity for Independent Living project, with the first instalment of €229,170 already received.
Focus Ireland says it generally adheres to a principle that the costs of generating fundraising income should not exceed 20% of the amount raised. However, for the duration of ‘strategic initiatives’ and while investment is being made to grow fundraising, they will deviate from the principle as appropriate. Fundraising costs were €1.8 million in 2015, 24% of funds raised (2014: 30%).
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.