Frequently asked questions…
1. Where does the International Fund get its money from?
The International Fund for Ireland is supported by the United States of America, the European Union, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Fund’s general administrative and organisational expenses are met by the British and Irish Governments.
2. Who decides how the Fund’s money is spent?
The Fund is managed by a Board which is appointed jointly by the British and Irish Governments and which draws upon skills from the private, public, voluntary and community sectors through its membership. All major funding applications are considered by the Board and decisions on approvals are reached at their quarterly meetings.
Before applications reach the Board they are reviewed by the Fund’s Secretariat against the Fund’s criteria for funding to ensure they qualify for consideration by the Board.
Observers from the Fund’s donor country governments also attend the Board meetings to monitor its operations.
For further information about Board Members click here.
3. How does the Fund measure its success?
The Fund measures its effectiveness in two ways. At a strategic level, the Fund has conducted independent reviews of its effectiveness and achievements. These reports were conducted by KPMG in 2000 and Deloitte MCS in 2005 and both found the Fund to be effective, providing a unique source of funding within its areas of operation.
At an operational level, the Fund regularly reviews and evaluates ongoing programmes such as the KEY programme for young people to assess its effectiveness and most projects which receive International Fund support have clear outcomes and success indicators which the Fund can track over time.
To view the Fund's achievements, click here.
4. How can I find out whether the Fund can help my community?
Visit the Areas of Activity section of this website to find out about the type of areas the Fund is currently supporting. If you think you have a project which might fall within one of those areas, contact the Fund for more information at:
Northern Ireland:
International Fund for Ireland
PO Box 2000
Belfast BT4 1WD
Telephone:+ 44 (0) 28 9076 8832
Fax: + 44 (0) 28 9076 3313
Ireland:
International Fund for Ireland
PO Box 2000
Dublin 2
Telephone: + 353 1 478 0655
Fax: + 353 1 475 1351.
5. What type of activities does the Fund give money to?
The Fund is currently focusing on projects, schemes and initiatives which promote reconciliation, greater mutual understanding on a cross-community or cross-border basis and address serious disadvantage and deprivation. Within this there is a great deal of variety with projects run by community organisations, arts organisations and voluntary sector bodies. Click here to view examples of projects supported by the International Fund.
6. What are the Fund’s key criteria for providing organisations with funding?
In line with the priorities of the Sharing this Space strategy, the Fund supports projects that:
- help to build and realise the vision of a shared future in Northern Ireland and the border counties
- promote understanding between the different communities
- work with those communities suffering the greatest economic and social deprivation using economic concerns as a platform for stronger relations with their neighbours
- facilite more integration between the communities
- deal with the problems of the economically inactive and long-term unemployed
- build strong strategic alliances with other agencies and bodies active on the ground, ensuring that efforts are complementary, sustainable and mutually reinforcing
- will be self-sustaining beyond the lifetime of the Fund
Guidelines for prospective applicants under the Community Based Economic and Social Regeneration Programme are available to download here.
7. Does the Fund work with other funders and charitable bodies?
One of the things that makes the International Fund unique is that it is often the ‘first money on the table’, allowing additional funding to be leveraged. In fact independent evaluation shows that for every £1/€1.45 given by the Fund as ‘first money on the table’, a further £2/€2.90 is raised from other sources, both public and private.
8. What are the Fund’s key priorities in terms of the work it supports?
In line with our current strategy, the International Fund’s priority is to support projects which promote cross-community and cross-border reconciliation. The Fund is also concerned with supporting projects which can be sustainable in the long term, ensuring that the Fund leaves a meaningful and viable legacy.
9. What type of support is available from the Fund?
The Fund provides financial support and also provides access to development opportunities for individuals through its support of programmes such as Community Leadership Programme, KEY, LET and Wider Horizons.
For more information click here.
10. Are there are any conditions to receiving support from the Fund?
Yes. Every successful applicant receives a letter of offer from the Fund, and depending on the nature of the project, there may be specific conditions relevant to the project’s outcomes.
The distribution of funds is also dependent on money being used to support and promote economic and social reconstruction and development and reconciliation between divided communities in Ireland, and recipients must agree to comply with employment equality legislation. Funds are also granted on the very strict condition that the recipients in no way support any individual or group involved in terrorist activity.
11. How much funding is available to individual projects?
The amount of funding available to individual projects depends, amongst other things, on the circumstances of each project, other match-funding that has been applied for or received, and the elements of the project that will be funded using financial assistance from IFI.
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12. Does the Fund provide funding for commercial ventures?
Commercial ventures which require access venture capital can contact Enterprise Equity, the venture capital company established with Fund support.
