The gift that keeps on giving!
The Co Monaghan Fund can claim the distinction of being Ireland’s first county-based philanthropic fund. Today it is still transforming communities through its sustainable approach to charitable giving.
Established in 2004 with support from the Community Foundation for Ireland, it began with an ambitious challenge: raise €100,000 locally to match a €100,000 grant. Since then, the fund has continued to grow.
“I think it’s at €700,000 now, which we have invested,” Seamus McDermott, Fund Development Manager explained.
He revealed the secret to the voluntary organisation’s longevity and enduring success: “We don’t intend spending the principal amount. We intend that to keep going forever. We average out about 4% on our money and that’s what we fund everything with. That interest has funded several projects.”
Over the past two decades, the Co Monaghan Fund has supported a wide range of community, educational and charitable initiatives. One stand-out project is the defibrillator training for trainers programme. As many Monaghan communities invested in lifesaving equipment, the cost of recurring training became a major challenge. “To their horror, they discovered they had to retrain every 90 days,” Seamus explained, adding that the fund provided for this instruction. The investment proved to be a lifesaver!
Charitable groups that benefited from the fund include local Alzheimer’s support services, special needs groups, women’s organisations and St Vincent de Paul conferences. Community development has been another focus, with support for Scouts groups, arts projects and community centres.
Education a priority
Education remains a key priority. Through its partnership with Dublin City University’s Access to Education Programme, the fund is helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds access third‑level education. The fund also supports literacy initiatives.
“Reading Recovery is for students who can’t read or write... We brought the programme in from Northern Ireland... We trained teachers for schools that wouldn’t have got them trained through the education system,” outlined Seamus.
The curricular programme takes students from non-readers to reading at the class average in just 20 weeks.
“We lean fairly heavily into education,” Seamus said, and it figures. Previous to his Directorship of Monaghan Education Centre, he was a Guidance Counsellor in Beech Hill College.
In addition, the Co Monaghan Fund encourages enterprise and innovation among young people by supporting the Co Enterprise Board’s Student Enterprise Programme. Since 2007, secondary school students have taken part in creativity workshops, learned from local business leaders and competed for the fund’s innovation award.
Speaking on the Co Monaghan Fund’s perpetual trophy for innovation, Seamus added: “A lot of our donors are people who were setting up employment in Monaghan and they want to get the young people in on that frame of mind that they will create employment in years to come.”
The altruistic committee from business and community spheres are not only interested in big picture projects, but they also give one-off donations to worthy causes and community groups too.
“We don’t often go looking for new money,” Seamus told the Celt. But if benevolent souls wish to donate, the fund will gladly accept. All contributions are tax‑efficient too. Residents can opt to leave a gift in their will, ensuring support for future generations.