Irish billionaire’s giving falls
Howard Lake | 28 June 2018 | News
The charitable vehicle of Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien made donations of €4.9 million last year, down from €5.5 million the year before.
The Iris O’Brien Foundation, based in the Dublin headquarters of Mr O’Brien’s Communicorp company, distributes grants in Ireland and overseas. Mr O’Brien owns many businesses in Ireland and the international telecom Digicel and is listed among the World’s Top 200 Billionaires.
SEE ALSO: O’Brien foundation gave €5.5 million last year
The accounts for 2017 show that funding for domestic charities fell considerably in the last year, with a drop from over €3 million to €1.8 million. Overseas funding grew from €2.3 million to €2.7 million.
Overseas, Mr O’Brien has a long association with projects in the Caribbean, particularly Haiti. In 201 he described his views on philanthropy by saying: “to the world in which I am living and the needs of those not merely less fortunate than me, but whose ability to live fulfilling and dignified lives have been compromised by the circumstances in which their lives have begun.”
The Foundation supports human rights, helps people affected by disasters, supports people with disability, educational causes and promotes art.
In the past Mr O’Brien has also supported the promotion of philanthropy with donations to Philanthropy Ireland. The billionaire has also reputedly paid the salary of Ireland’s international soccer manager.
Mr O’Brien’s business picks up the cost of administrating the Foundation.
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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.