The future of philanthropy
Sarah Hartnett, Director of Development with University of Limerick Foundation, reflects on ‘exciting possibilities’ as the landscape of giving continues to evolve
Sarah Hartnett, UL Foundation
In its earliest form, the word philanthropy, from the Greek philanthropia, simply meant ‘love of mankind’.
In Ireland, the concept of philanthropy, which focuses on planned giving and takes a more strategic, long-term approach, is still relatively new. Historically, Irish charitable giving tended to be focused on relief aid, i.e. to assist the poor or those suffering from famine in third world countries.
Philanthropy has its origins in the US and much of the credit for the growth of the concept in Ireland can be attributed to Irish American philanthropist, Chuck Feeney, whose foundation gave away more than $8 billion, with a quarter of funds dispersed to projects in Ireland.
Approximately €1 billion was given to Irish universities, North and South, and University of Limerick was one of the main beneficiaries.
It was at Chuck’s recommendation that the UL Foundation was established back in 1989 with Chuck becoming its Founding Chairman. Chuck introduced other philanthropists to the UL Foundation, such as Lew Glucksman and Loretta Brennan Glucksman, who have been avid supporters of the University, as well as many other causes on the Island of Ireland.
With Ireland’s prosperity during the Celtic Tiger, home grown philanthropists began to emerge and use their newfound wealth to benefit education, culture, sport, poverty, and other social problems. The digital age enabled new ways to reach people and spread messaging, and philanthropy has grown to be more organised and professional than ever before.
In the educational environment, rapid developments in technology are playing a pivotal role in reshaping philanthropy, offering new avenues for engagement with donors.
UL’s Immersive Software Engineering is one such example where tech leaders such as Stripe, Amazon Web Services, Analog Devices and many others came together to support UL’s new highly innovative Immersive Software Engineering programme in order to meet the growing need for industry-ready software engineers.
Wealth is not new. Neither is charity. But the idea of using private wealth imaginatively, constructively, and systematically to attack the fundamental problems of mankind is new
John Gardner
We can expect this shift towards strategic philanthropy to continue, fostering collaboration between donors, foundations, and other stakeholders to maximize the collective impact of philanthropic efforts.
The future of philanthropy holds exciting possibilities as the landscape of giving continues to evolve driven by shifting societal values and global challenges.
One notable trend is the growing emphasis on impact-driven philanthropy with donors increasingly focused on supporting initiatives with measurable outcomes that address complex issues, such as poverty, health and protection of our planet. This offers opportunities for universities, such as UL, who have many interdisciplinary research groups that are engaged in focused translational research initiatives that demonstrate real impact.
Climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability are becoming integral components of philanthropy, and this trend is likely to continue into the future, reflecting the growing recognition of the profound impact of climate-related issues on communities worldwide.
Similarly, fostering equitable access to education and addressing social inequality is likely to remain a priority for donors who we can expect will continue to support initiatives that tackle systemic discrimination, promote human rights, and work towards creating more inclusive societies.
Finally, while the passing of Chuck Feeney has undeniably left a large void for many charitable organisations, thankfully the future of philanthropy looks bright. UL Foundation has been fortunate that many others have shown incredible generosity, including other foundations, industry, UL alumni and the UL Foundation Board.
Chuck inspired many others to follow in his footsteps and his incredible legacy will hopefully inspire many others yet to come.
Guided by his belief in our institution, the University and UL Foundation have the privilege of playing a pivotal role in shaping the future by embracing innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to meaningful impact to create positive and sustainable outcomes for both people and the planet.
Members of Chuck Feeney’s extended family on a visit to UL in 2023 with founding president Dr Ed Walsh (centre)
To learn more about supporting UL, please contact Sarah Hartnett at: sarah.hartnett@ul.ie.
