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Rethink Ireland Calls On Philanthropists In Tipperary

SPIN
SPIN

10:33 29 Jun 2021


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Rethink Ireland Calls On Philanthropists In Tipperary To Help Them Achieve Positive Social Change By Investing In Ireland’s Most Innovative Non-Profit Organisations

People in Tipperary  are being encouraged to support Ireland’s most innovative charities and social enterprises to help achieve a more equal, just and sustainable Ireland.

The call comes as Rethink Ireland the non-profit organisation which provides cash grants and business support to social innovations launched their Five-Year Impact Report last week.

Launching the report last week, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said:

“The pandemic has presented many challenges over the last fifteen months.

One of the lessons we have learnt is that we need inclusive and sustainable approaches to the challenges facing our society.

Innovation and new ways of problem solving will be required in the post Covid-19 future.

And the many projects supported by Rethink Ireland demonstrate this in action.’’

Speaking at the launch, Dalton Philips, Chair of Rethink Ireland, said:

“The past five years have been a period of impressive growth for Rethink Ireland, as demonstrated by the key results in the report.

But for Rethink Ireland, the numbers are only a part of the full impact story.

We put great effort and investment into measuring the effects our work has on the lives of people living in Tipperary, and around the country.

Who benefits from our support?

What change, if any, happens, as a result?

Rethink Ireland is a venture philanthropy fund.

This means that we exercise the same discipline and rigour you would expect of venture capital funds, searching for the most remarkable innovations to invest in.

But the difference is we measure a project’s success by the social impact it generates.

We are calling on philanthropists, companies, individuals and families in Tipperary who are interested in making smart philanthropic investments and achieving long-lasting results to get in touch with us.’’

According to Rethink Ireland’s Five Year Impact report, which was launched by An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, since 2016 Rethink Ireland has:

Supported 246 social innovations, including Tipperary’s Carmha Ireland and Sustainable Project’s Ireland CLG.

Created a €72 million social innovation fund.

Created 30 funds working towards positive social impact.

Helped 972 people to overcome barriers and gain employment.

Created over 500 jobs in the social innovation sector.

Supported organisations such as FoodCloud, which works to combat food waste; iScoil, an online learning community offering young people out of school an alternative path to learning, accreditation and progression and Amal Women’s Association, a Muslim-led service, responding to the needs of women with a connection to the Muslim faith and culture in Ireland.

Rethink Ireland also unveiled the evaluation results of their three-year €7.5 million Education Fund, carried out by the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway.

The evaluators used a Social Return on Investment framework to measure social value created which is not traditionally reflected in financial statements.

The measurement tool demonstrates that our Education Fund investment into 7 Awardees delivered a return on investment ratio of 1:12 meaning that for every one euro we invested in these Education projects, a social return on investment of €12 was achieved.

Not only did the students participating in the evaluation progress their education, they also experienced ‘a personal transformation’ evident in increased maturity, independence, confidence and a sense of achievement.

The organisation also launched a Manifesto – “A Vision for Ireland 2030”, which sets out their vision for an equal, just and sustainable Ireland.

According to the report, Ireland has a unique opportunity to become a European leader in how to excel in the green transition, and social innovation will play a critical role in achieving this vision.

Commenting on the launch of their manifesto, Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland, said:

“Our manifesto sets out Rethink Ireland’s ambitions for Ireland in 2030.

Our vision is for the Irish economy to become a human economy and for a new radical equality agenda to emerge.

We have less than eight years left to save our planet.

The question is not - if we can do it, but how?

We believe Ireland has a unique opportunity to become a leader in the green transition.

This is why Rethink Ireland is not just a name to us - it’s actually a call to action.

We are calling on people in Tipperary to join us in supporting the best social innovations in Ireland.’’

Rethink Ireland’s Five-Year Impact Report can be downloaded from: here.


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