Eilis Murray: Philanthropy in Ireland

Eilis Murray: Philanthropy in Ireland

Many aspiring philanthropists feel paralysed by the unknown, unsure of how to start their journey or where their contribution can make the most tangible impact. Navigating the complex landscape of charitable giving often feels daunting, leaving potential donors hesitant to step forward and engage. This episode offers a roadmap for those ready to make a difference. We explore why there is no single "right" way to give, the necessity of personal engagement over passive cheque-writing, and how to define your philanthropic purpose. You'll learn how to overcome common barriers, measure your impact, and find support in the Irish ecosystem. Joining us is Eilis Murray, Chief Executive of Philanthropy Ireland. With over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Eilis is an expert in project planning, evaluation, and mediation, making her the perfect guide to help you find your path in the world of giving. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT No single path for philanthropy. Diverse models of charitable giving. Benefits of national philanthropy policy. Overcoming barriers to starting out. Measuring impact and strategic giving. GUEST DETAILS Eilis Murray is the Chief Executive of Philanthropy Ireland. With over 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Eilis specializes in project planning, evaluation, and mediation. She brings deep expertise in relationship management and identifying strategic pathways for long-term philanthropic impact. Connect with Eilis: Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/eilis-murray Company: philanthropy.ie MORE INFORMATION Looking to learn more about the power of strategic giving and effecting real change? Visit https://www.philanthropy.ie/ to learn more. The Philanthropy Ireland Podcast is produced by DustPod.io. QUOTES There is no one way. You find your way within philanthropy, you go with it, you learn, you test, you model, you step back, you step back in. - Eilis Murray Philanthropy can take risks that the government cannot, but then they can take that risk and provide proof of concept. - Eilis Murray Philanthropy is a journey. You may start out at step one... but you may end up at step five, six, and seven. - Eilis Murray  KEYWORDS: #PhilanthropyIreland #SocialImpact #StrategicGiving #CharitableGiving #PhilanthropyPolicy

The Broadlake Foundation Launches

The traditional view that a business's sole moral responsibility is to its shareholders is a dated philosophy that ignores the critical interdependence of business, society, and the environment. Irish investment company Broadlake is tackling this challenge head-on with its ambitious "3x 10x" vision, aiming for three times growth and ten times positive impact. This concept proves that growth fuels impact and, significantly, impact fuels growth. This model is now formalized with the launch of the Broadlake Foundation, focused on scaling high-potential non-profits with strategic expertise and deep, long-term partnerships. Host Vincent Wall is joined by Daragh Anglim, Head of Impact at Broadlake, and Jim Breslin Chairman of the Broadlake Foundation, bringing extensive leadership experience across government, strategy, innovation, and large-scale organisational transformation.  THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Business driving positive societal change. Broadlake's ambitious 3x 10x philosophy. Scaling impactful non-profits globally. Deep partnership is key to sustained scale. Moving beyond shareholder primacy to B Corp GUEST DETAILS Jim Breslin is Chair of the Board at Broadlake and Chairman of the Broadlake Foundation, bringing extensive leadership experience across government, strategy, innovation, and large-scale organisational transformation.  His career includes serving as Secretary General of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and leading strategy and policy as Secretary General of the Department of Health during a transformative period. Daragh Anglim is Head of Impact at Broadlake, where he works across a portfolio of entrepreneur-led businesses to embed long-term impact alongside commercial growth, focusing on how impact is measured and integrated.  He previously served as Head of Marketing and Digital at Fáilte Ireland, overseeing major brand initiatives, and also founded RealEyes Sustainability Ltd., reflecting his long-standing expertise in sustainability and systems thinking. MORE INFORMATION Looking to learn more about the power of strategic giving and effecting real change? Visit https://www.philanthropy.ie/ to learn more. The Philanthropy Ireland Podcast is produced by DustPod.io. QUOTES The value is in accessing the people within our businesses. - Daragh Anglim We're interested in people with proven impact, but are really ambitious for scale. - Jim Breslin The funding is significant, but the funding is not really where the value is in partnering with the Broadlake Foundation, the value is in accessing the people within our businesses. - Daragh Anglim If you want to go quick, go alone. If you want to go far, bring everybody with you. - Jim Breslin KEYWORDS #SocialImpact #BroadlakeFoundation #CorporatePhilanthropy #ScalingNonprofits #BcorpBusiness

Strategic Giving - Jim Barry

Navigating the landscape of corporate social responsibility can be challenging for successful public companies seeking to make a lasting environmental and societal impact.  A clear rationale must make sense to shareholders, ensuring charitable giving is not merely a "tick the box" exercise. This episode delves into the strategic creation of a landmark corporate foundation in Ireland, the NTR corporate foundation, and explores the deployment of catalytic capital toward climate change and social enterprises.  It also examines the governance challenges of passive spend-down models and the core philosophical difference between capital-driven decisions and need-driven philanthropy.  Joining host Vincent Wall is senior business leader and investor Jim Barry, who brings decades of experience from his tenure as CEO of NTR, a transport, logistics, and waste company, and his senior investment role at BlackRock. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Irish culture's influence on early giving NTR Foundation's climate change objectives Challenges of passive spend-down model Need is the driver for social enterprises Structuring your personal giving strategy GUEST DETAILS Jim Barry is a senior business leader and investor, most recently serving almost 12 years at BlackRock, where he was the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI), overseeing its $330bn alternative asset business.  His core skills include accountability for investment performance and strategy across the BAI platform and building BlackRock's leading Real Assets business.  Previously, he was CEO of NTR plc for 11 years, transforming the company into a major renewable energy infrastructure owner and operator, an experience that led to the establishment of the NTR corporate foundation. Connect with Jim: linkedin.com/in/jim-barry-5aba02245 MORE INFORMATION Looking to learn more about the power of strategic giving and effecting real change?  Visit https://www.philanthropy.ie/ to learn more. The Philanthropy Ireland Podcast is produced by DustPod.io. QUOTES I do believe, as public companies and private enterprise, more generally, you need to be accepted and approved by society charitable giving… - Jim Barry Supporting other social enterprises can be a good way of building your connectivity with society. - Jim Barry I think if you're going to go to that effort, you need to have a very clear, medium, long term strategy as to what you're going to do. - Jim Barry KEYWORDS #CorporatePhilanthropy #NTRFoundation #SocialEnterprise #IrelandFunds #StrategicGiving

Driving Growth Through Local Philanthropy - Ed Murphy

Rural communities across Ireland are facing a quiet crisis as young talent migrates to major cities, leaving behind a void of energy and economic stagnation. This drain of vitality threatens the very fabric of local towns, resulting in vacant shops and a loss of the communal spirit that once defined these regions. The solution lies in leveraging entrepreneurial expertise and resources to build modern, sustainable industries that encourage the next generation to stay, work, and play locally. This episode explores how innovation hubs, collaborative funding, and mentorship can revitalise a county by creating future-proof jobs and vibrant social spaces. Our guest is Ed Murphy, a serial entrepreneur and community philanthropist who successfully scaled and exited major franchise businesses like Home Instead and Snap Print & Design. With decades of experience in business building, he now focuses his energy on pro bono leadership and strategic investment in County Wexford’s economic and social future. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Combatting talent drain in rural Ireland Establishing Green Tech HQ innovation hub Mentoring local businesses to scale jobs Collaborating with Rethink Ireland for impact Defining the concept of "having enough" GUEST DETAILS Ed Murphy is a serial entrepreneur and the current President of the County Wexford Chamber of Commerce. After a successful career building and scaling major franchises including Home Instead, Snap Print & Design, and CEX, he transitioned into full-time philanthropy and community activism.  His main skills lie in business scaling, strategic mentoring, and fostering innovation within the green energy and sustainability sectors. Connect with Ed: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-murphy-038822189/ Company: https://www.greentechhq.com/ MORE INFORMATION Looking to learn more about the power of strategic giving and effecting real change? Visit https://www.philanthropy.ie/ to learn more. The Philanthropy Ireland Podcast is produced by DustPod.io. QUOTES "If someone ends up doing philanthropy, probably it's always been part of their nature." – Ed Murphy "I think often... people are not pulled aside and told, by the way, you probably have enough." – Ed Murphy "The biggest risk in life is not taking a risk at all." – Ed Murphy KEYWORDS #RuralRegeneration #SocialImpact #SustainableEnterprise #CommunityPhilanthropy #WexfordBusiness

How Family Foundations Evolve - Eamonn Quinn

The move from successful family business to structured family giving presents unique challenges for continuity and strategy across generations. For the Quinn family, the sale of the Superquinn supermarket group created a new imperative to formalise their deep-rooted tradition of community support into a sustainable philanthropic model. This journey required a shift from local, sporadic donations to a targeted, investment-led approach focusing on long-term impact. This episode explores the evolution of the Quinn Family Foundation, discussing how to establish core focus areas, the necessity of professional administration, and the vital process of engaging successive generations in decision-making and project evaluation. The conversation uncovers how their business-led ethos informs their giving and the importance of seeing charitable work live on the ground. Joining us is Eamonn Quinn, a highly experienced retail marketeer, board member, and investor in retail technology. Eamonn is a Trustee of the Quinn Family Foundation, providing a candid look into the mechanics of multi-generational, high-impact family philanthropy in Ireland. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Early charity work embedded in Superquinn Establishing three core pillars of giving Managing large, multi-generational family trust The necessity of engaging and seeing impact Practical advice for starting a family trust GUEST DETAILS Eamonn Quinn is a Trustee of the Quinn Family Foundation. He is a highly experienced retail marketeer, an investor in retail-orientated technology companies, and was the former Deputy Chairman of the Superquinn Supermarket Group. Eamonn brings a keen business sensibility to measuring the effectiveness and impact of the Foundation's philanthropic ventures. Connect with Eamonn: Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/eamonndquinn Company: kelsius.com MORE INFORMATION Looking to learn more about the power of strategic giving and effecting real change? Visit https://www.philanthropy.ie/ to learn more. The Philanthropy Ireland Podcast is produced by DustPod.io. QUOTES In the early days, my father would have been very anti spending money on administration, because we know it should all go to the charity, but you really find that you do have to spend some money to get the best value for what you're doing - Eamonn Quinn We ended up really with, I suppose, three pillars in terms of what we want to do. So the first one was income generation for the very poor. Originally, that was Africa. ... And then I suppose entrepreneurship. I suppose social entrepreneurship is more so, and enough access to education... - Eamonn Quinn  We also try and do multi annual donations. So just giving somebody a check year one and nothing the next year isn't a great idea. So we try to do it for at minimum two to three years at least. - Eamonn Quinn  KEYWORDS Philanthropy Ireland, Quinn Family Foundation, Fergal Quinn, social entrepreneurship, income generation, education access, family collaboration, multi-generational trust, impact measurement, community support