Join IrishCentral's COVID-19 Relief Fund

As the world continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland, and Irish-related services here in the United States, need your help.

IrishCentral readers can now make a gift to The COVID-19 Relief Fund to assist the work of charities delivering services to those most in need. The services provided by nonprofit organizations in Ireland and Northern Ireland have never been more in-demand.

Yet those organizations are now struggling to meet the demands of the communities they serve.

100% of your gift will go in the form of immediate grants made by The Ireland Funds America directly to meet the greatest needs across all of Ireland, north, and south.

The IrishCentral COVID-19 Relief Fund will provide relief to people in need of: 

- Critical health services

- Disability support

- Domestic and child abuse (family support)

- Elderly services

- Access to education

- Food and food distribution

- Mental health services

- Community support

You can make a gift to the IrishCentral COVID-19 Relief Fund here.

Your support will go to selected projects that are already at work, delivering food, enabling remote education for disadvantaged children, helping homeless families, and caring for our seniors. Thank you for joining us in supporting the frontline organizations serving vulnerable people and families at this time.

Donate to the IrishCentral COVID-19 Relief Fund, in association with The Ireland Funds.

The following organizations are examples of how the prospective grantees of The COVID-19 Relief Fund are already at work on the ground:

Barnardos is currently working with over 1,500 families affected by domestic abuse, mental health challenges, addiction, and homelessness. It is delivering crisis support, including food parcels, diapers, and other essential items, as well as safety planning for those faced with the heightened risk of domestic abuse during these stressful times.

DePaul Ireland cares for Ireland's homeless population many of whom are at high risk for COVID-19. Support from The COVID-19 Response Fund is helping to provide hundreds of beds each night that safely adhere to social distancing.

Food distribution is facing unprecedented challenges. Support for FoodCloud is helping continue the delivery of food to 500+ charity partners across Ireland.

The COVID-19 Response Fund is helping Good Shepherd Cork provide emergency shelter and services to families in crisis. It is helping over 100 families with safe accommodation, education tools for children in homeless accommodation to help them access education in the current situation, and similar critical assistance.

Making Connections is helping ensure that those most at risk/living alone are supported during the COVID-19 crisis. Making Connections has mobilized 100 volunteers to provide shopping, offer emotional support, and monitor phone lines for older people in need. Nutritious, hot meals are provided 6 times a week for older people and those with underlying health conditions.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, COPE Galway has seen the demand for its meals program increase by 100%. They are providing meals to older people in the community and much-needed services to those affected by homelessness and domestic abuse.

The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) of the National College of Ireland is providing remote home visits, activity packs, and materials to 300 educationally disadvantaged children and their families to create a positive home learning environment during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

For over 30 years 174 Trust in Belfast has provided a full array of community services to the people of Northern Ireland. It has now pivoted to serve as a critically necessary food-hub for neighborhoods in need. Additional support will ensure that 174 Trust can efficiently deliver meals each week to hundreds of vulnerable people in the community.

MyMind has almost 2,000 clients who rely on its mental health counseling services. Support is improving and delivering online counseling at a time when face-to-face counseling can no longer be provided. It is anticipated that these improvements will yield lasting benefit now and also long after the pandemic has passed.

SAFE Ireland is providing for the immediate needs of 150 women and children experiencing domestic violence including food, basic supplies, accommodation, and others to keep women and children safe in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

At this time of such critical need, IrishCentral is pleased to be turning to its extensive network of concerned and engaged members of the Irish community. Our goal is to assist The Ireland Funds America in generating funds and distributing support where it will be most efficiently utilized on an immediate basis.

The Ireland Funds America is one of the largest private funders of the nonprofit sector in Ireland with over 40 years of expertise and rigorous review of charities in Ireland. Formed in 1976, The American Ireland Fund (dba The Ireland Funds America), is a tax-exempt organization, incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania. It has been determined by the IRS to be a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to it are tax-deductible as provided by law. Upon receipt of your gift, they will issue the appropriate charitable gift receipt for your use.

Note that the ultimate authority as to the grantees and the amount of all grants enabled by this COVID-19 Relief Fund will rest with The Ireland Funds America. They have agreed that 100% of the funds raised will be used for grant aid and that they will not charge for their administration or overheads in carrying out the project.