Businessman sets up new NI foundation
Howard Lake | 3 May 2017 | News
A Northern Ireland businessman who has set up a new £500,000 foundation says he was inspired by philanthropists such as Chuck Feeney, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
Mervyn McCall, who has set up the McCall Foundation with an initial gift of £500,000, said wealthy philanthropists may on a global scale have made a massive contribution to charity, yet he believes more can be done by people locally.
“People like Chuck Feeney and Warren Buffet have done a huge amount for philanthropy but we need so many more people doing this because as statistics show, the gap is growing between rich and poor,” he said.
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“In Northern Ireland we have been behind the eight ball when it comes to philanthropy but it is getting talked about more and more and it is definitely growing which is fantastic,” Mr McCall said.
Broad charitable objects including elderly people
Mr McCall was introduced to the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland by a financial advisor. The Foundation subsequently worked with him to establish the McCall Foundation to which will distribute £25,000 per year in perpetuity with one large grant of £15,000 and the remaining £10,000 spread between a number of beneficiaries in smaller grants.
Mr McCall said he wanted to work with the Foundation because he didn’t want to deal with all the paperwork and he was impressed with their local knowledge in relation to good causes.
The objectives of the McCall Foundation are wide, however, there is a particular interest in issues affecting the elderly, especially the needs of elderly people just released from hospital.
“I understand that for some elderly people coming out of hospital can be a very difficult time in terms of not only getting the support they need but also in getting their confidence back – especially after a prolonged stay,” Mr McCall said.
You can find out more about the McCall Foundation by contacting the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.
- More about Chuck Feeney and Atlantic Philanthropies
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.