The Philadelphia Fund : 10.13.06

For more than thirty years, The American Ireland Fund (AIF) has been helping the People of Ireland rebuild and reinvigorate their homeland and share their vibrant Culture with a receptive world. Over the past five years, Philadelphia has embraced The American Ireland Fund and established itself as the fastest growing of all Chapters worldwide. Because of this we have established the Philadelphia Fund.

The Philadelphia Fund, a donor-advised fund, will be established by donors who wish to be actively involved in recommending which organizations receive grants from their donations. The Philadelphia Fund will have its own stated charitable focus which, for the initial five-year period spanning 2007—2011, will be in support of Educating and Integrating in Northern Ireland. Charitable distributions from the Philadelphia Fund will be overseen by the Philadelphia Fund Steering Committee, an advisory board that will make periodic recommendations to the Board of Directors of The American Ireland Fund for final consideration and approval.

THE GOAL

It is the goal of the Philadelphia Fund to raise $250,000 in commitments by December 31, 2007. This will provide grants to support those organizations whose aims are to promote a unified society in Northern Ireland based on acceptance and reconciliation through integration and education. The entire fund will be disbursed over the five-year period from 2007— 2011 (20% allocation per annum) through grants to those approved organizations. At the conclusion of this period, the Philadelphia Fund Steering Committee, in concurrence with The American Ireland Fund, will determine the next goal and stated charitable purpose commencing in 2012. Beginning with the October 17, 2006 address by Senator George J. Mitchell, who chaired the all-party peace negotiations which led to the Belfast Peace Agreement in 1998, the Philadelphia Fund Steering Committee will partake in ongoing Leadership Forums designed to assist in discerning where the funds will be allocated. These events will draw leaders from Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland to hear and share opinions and ideas on a better future for people on the island of Ireland.

The establishment of The Philadelphia Fund comes chiefly as a result of the vibrant Irish-American community in greater Philadelphia embracing The American Ireland Fund and its focus on the establishment of lasting peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Peace has been achieved but the two communities have yet to be reconciled. With less than 6% of Catholic and Protestant children being educated together, the Philadelphia community has a rare opportunity to make a visible and lasting contribution to the betterment of society in this historically troubled area of the world.