Philanthropy Ireland Podcast

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

Building Tomorrow's Young Philanthropists - Louise McElvaney and Sean McDaid

Are young people in your community struggling to build resilience and find their direction after the disruption of recent years? Many secondary school students today face unprecedented challenges - from educational gaps to mental health concerns - leaving parents, educators, and community leaders searching for effective ways to support the next generation's development. Imagine a community where every young person has access to the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they need to thrive. Picture teenagers who are not only academically supported but also equipped with life skills, resilience, and a sense of purpose - young people who understand their potential to make a positive impact and are empowered to become the changemakers and philanthropists of tomorrow. Louise McElvaney and Sean McDaid, co-founders of the 5Ten Trust in Donegal, have created exactly this kind of transformative community program. Louise brings extensive HR expertise in organizational development, while Sean leverages deep community connections built over years of local engagement.  Together, they've developed innovative approaches including peer tutoring, targeted workshops, and their groundbreaking "Pay It Forward" initiative that's turning young people into active contributors to their communities - even during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT * Why a global pandemic became the unexpected opportunity to transform youth mental health support in one Irish community * How two friends turned mutual respect into a powerful formula for launching successful community initiatives * The "Pay It Forward" strategy that transforms teenage bursary recipients into active community changemakers * Real examples: How former students are now running social media campaigns and funding community gardens * The proven framework for building resilience and life skills that you can adapt for your own community's young people GUEST DETAILS In 2020 we Co-founded 5Ten Trust, a charity set up to help young people further their education and development ambitions, by enabling them to remove barriers.  The trust sponsors numerous education initiatives with education providers to develop resilience and address mental health challenges among children and young people in the North or Ireland. QUOTES * We're trying to influence them to pay it forward, for a better word of the future, with their time, talent and perhaps funding. - Louise McElvaney * For the children, It's about giving them the confidence that they are enough, that they are capable of anything that they set their mind to. - Louise McElvaney * if we can change someone's life early on, and instill in them the power that small changes can make in their lives, hopefully it has long, lasting and huge consequences for the community.– Sean McDaid * We touch on hundreds of kids to help build resilience, to help them with life skills, to help them with what they're going to do next. – Louise McElvanery * If you're wanting to help children deal with anxiety, resilience and build them into better people, you have to start somewhere. So just just start small.. – Sean McDaid KEYWORDS #Philanthropy Ireland, #5Ten Trust, #bursaries, #mental health, #secondary school children, #Donegal