Campaign Update 2004

Hope & History : A Shared Success

The Worldwide Ireland Funds’ five-year, $100 million “Hope & History” campaign has come to an exciting and gratifying conclusion. Although gifts are still being accepted - and therefore the total is not yet official - it is clear that gifts to the campaign will exceed $107 million.

“ This is a wonderful end to a wonderful story,” said Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chairman of The American Ireland Fund.

“We have a lot to be proud of,” echoed Sir Anthony O’Reilly, Chairman of The Worldwide Ireland Funds, “and a lot to be thankful for. A success like this was no sure thing, back when this all started. It reflects the hard work of a committed corps of volunteers, as well as the deep affection that Irish people around the world feel for Ireland.”

The story began in 1998, when the Board of The American Ireland Fund began thinking carefully about their organization’s mission and scope. Over the prior three decades, the Funds had raised $100 million in the United States to fund projects in Ireland. Much good had been accomplished—and yet, much more remained to be done. Although the AIF was distributing more money every year, only 1 in 11 worthy causes could be funded.

“This was particularly troubling for us,” as AIF President and CEO Kingsley Aikins recalls, “because we had something like four dozen advisors ‘on the ground’ in all parts of Ireland, turning up deserving projects and organizations. And then we had to turn down ten out of every eleven grant proposals.”

The board began thinking about raising significant new resources—at a level that would dramatically increase the organization’s impact. Discussions with educator and development expert Scott N. Nichols in the spring of 1998 advanced the cause (see interview), and the $100 million target began being considered seriously. A feasibility study was conducted at the behest of the board. Then, at a June 1998 board meeting, Sir Anthony O’Reilly created new momentum by pledging $5 million to the proposed effort.

Going public

O’Reilly’s pledge initiated what is known as the “quiet phase” of the campaign. It also signalled the beginning of a great deal of work on the part of Board Directors and AIF staffers. Up to this point, the AIF’s fundraising had mainly been limited to dinners, golf outings and similar events. No one knew if the organization had the capacity to mount a $100 million effort. Nor was it clear whether the members of the “Irish diaspora”—the millions of people around the world of Irish descent—would support an effort on this scale.

One person who believed the $100 million goal was achievable was Loretta Brennan Glucksman. She and her husband Lewis L. Glucksman had long been supporters of Irish causes.

“Obviously,” said Loretta at the time, “this is a really, really big number. But The Ireland Funds is the leading organization raising money for Ireland, period. If we can’t hit this number, then it doesn’t bode well for those issues that are so dear to our hearts. We have to hit this number.” Fortunately, the AIF board called upon its own membership, as well as other friends of the organization, to create a $38 million nucleus fund. By June 2000, the effort was ready to go public.

During three days of events and ceremonies in Dublin and Belfast—attended by Irish President Mary McAleese and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, among other prominent supporters of the cause—the campaign was formally launched.

The components of “Hope & History”

By this time, the effort had a formal name: “Hope & History: The Ireland Fund’s Campaign for Ireland.” The phrase was borrowed from Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney’s poem, The Cure at Troy, which includes the following stanzas:

History says, Don’t hope
On this side of the grave.
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.

So hope for a great sea-change
On the far side of revenge.
Believe that a further shore
Is reachable from here.
Believe in miracles
And cures and healing wells.

“It struck us as a particularly apt message,” recalls Kingsley Aikins. “The notion of things converging in a positive sense, of getting past revenge, of miracles and healing wells. “And,” he adds with a smile, referring to Heaney’s strong support of the AIF’s efforts “it’s always nice to have a Nobel laureate from Ireland on your side.” The campaign carried forward the principal focuses and goals of the AIF in preceding years. These were: to promote peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland, and to support community development, education, arts, and culture throughout Ireland.

A context of change—and challenge

The campaign began against the backdrop of the Good Friday Agreement, reached in April 1998 and ratified overwhelmingly in all parts of Ireland. For the first time in many years, it seemed, there might be a chance to build a true and lasting peace.

But as Senator Maurice Hayes—Chairman of the Funds’ Advisory Committee in Dublin—said at the time, “The Agreement is not an end in itself. It must mean a new beginning for everyone—particularly those who have suffered most over the years from the effects of violence.”

The campaign also began in the context of a second new and welcome trend: the so-called “Celtic Tiger.” By the late 1990s, the Irish economy was growing at record rates. For the first time in more than a century, immigrants into Ireland exceeded emigrants away from the island. The sponsors of Hope & History celebrated this progress—but also made the case that Ireland’s new prosperity was not evenly distributed. More than one in five Irish, they pointed out, still lived below the official poverty line. Much work remained to be done.

Many of the initiatives embraced by Hope & History—like those supported before and after the campaign by the AIF—straddled the issues of peace, reconciliation, culture, community development, and education.

“This was the case we tried to make,” recalls Kingsley Aikins. “We tried to underscore for people that, thanks to our extensive network of advisors in the north and south of Ireland, we knew which levers to pull to have the greatest impact.”

Another effective selling point of the campaign, according to Aikins, was the concept of leverage. Donations to the AIF—the proponents of Hope & History pointed out—tend to have important ripple effects. Among other things, they tend to validate new
ideas, and prompt other entities to contribute to these causes.

A detour of the heart

Building on its sizeable nucleus fund, Hope & History made strong progress in its first year or so. Then came the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, when terrorists killed almost 3,000 people in an orchestrated series of attacks on New York City and Washington. D.C. Work on the AIF campaign—like most other pursuits—was suspended. The grieving buried their dead. And then something quite extraordinary happened.

“In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy,” Aikins recalls, “we got calls from people around the world, asking what we could collectively do for the U.S. The unanimous sense was that Americans had been overwhelmingly generous to the Irish in the past, and that the time had come to reciprocate.”In short order, The Ireland Funds had established their Disaster Relief Fund, which donated $1 million for relief and rebuilding efforts in New York City. “A small sum, given the scale of that disaster,” Aikins concludes, “but an absolutely heartfelt one.”

Toward the finish line

In the spring of 2002, the campaign began to regain its lost momentum. The New York dinner in May was the single most successful event in AIF history, raising some $3 million in one night, chaired by Bob McCann and Christopher “Kip” Condron. The AIF board took particular pride in this success—and also in their own contribution to the rekindling of Hope & History. Board contributed fully 66 % of the campaign total. It also restructured itself in ways that advanced the cause of both the AIF and its campaign.

And finally, Board Directors proved themselves to be effective and articulate advocates for the cause. At the annual June conference held in Dublin but ranging far and wide across Ireland, Board Directors hosted informational tours and helped introduce prospective donors to the meticulous granting methods of the Fund—helping persuade those donors to join the campaign. Irish members of the Advisory Committee made it clear why the work of the Fund continues to be of great importance.

As a result of these many contributions, the campaign again made steady progress toward the finish line. As it entered its fifth and final year, only $13 million of the original $100 million target remained to be raised. And in that final year, that last gap was closed—and exceeded by half again as much, for a grand total of more than $107 million.

Change—and continuity

What is next for the AIF, in the wake of its remarkable campaign success? The answer is twofold: delivering on the promise of the campaign, and looking to the future. To some extent, that promise has already been delivered upon.

In the past five years, the success of Hope & History has enabled the AIF to make more than 2,200 grants to approximately 1,000 organizations. One of the significant trends that surfaced during Hope & History was the emergence of donor-advised funds. This parallels a trend in the larger philanthropic community, whereby many donors in recent years have sought to create closer ties to the objects of their philanthropy. In many ways the Funds were victims of their own success, introducing donors to people and projects that they became very attached to, and wanted to support further.

“The Fund created opportunities for us to visit places like Belfast and Derry,” recalls Bill Walsh, who with his family made a $2 million gift to the campaign, “so we could witness first-hand what was being accomplished, and listen to the hopes and dreams of the leaders.” Ultimately, the Walshes elected to support a Poetry corner in the name of Seamus Heaney at Queen’s University Belfast, a chair in classical Greek studies at Trinity College in Dublin, and Integrated Schools, as well as a series of other projects.

“It’s a trend”, says Kingsley Aikins, “that’s likely to become more important in the future. We’re well positioned to take advantage of it,” he explains, “in light of our strong ties into so many parts of Ireland. And the hidden benefit is that it involves human capital in our work, as well as funds for investment.”

Increasingly, The Ireland Funds are taking a lead role in shaping the future of philanthropy in Ireland—and perhaps, by extension, the broader European community. Playing a critical convening role in bringing together members of the donor and advisor communities, The Funds are looking for ways to “grow” philanthropy in Ireland and elsewhere.

Fundraising will continue, of course. The AIF has never had a significant endowment; in the opinion of board leaders the time has come to start building a financial reserve that will lend stability to the organization’s efforts over the long run. Meanwhile, the organization will continue to seek unrestricted funds to do the work it has always done, investing in Ireland’s future.

It hardly seems like five years since we launched our Hope & History Campaign to raise $100 million between 1999 and 2003. And yet, here we are at the successful conclusion of what has been a fascinating period in the life of The American Ireland Fund, and indeed, The Worldwide Ireland Funds.

Under the committed leadership of our Boston-based Campaign Director, Caitriona Fottrell, a structured program of research, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship was put in place with over 240 Campaign ‘asks’ being made. The response was nothing short of sensational, particularly at the Board level. AIF directors contributed over 66% of the total raised. Worldwide reaction was similarly astounding with the aus$1 million gift to Integrated Education in Northern Ireland by Lady Mary Fairfax in Sydney being a wonderful example.

The impact of the Campaign was more than just financial: it has galvanized the entire organization. We now have committed and enthusiastic Boards around the world, who are willing to lead and give. They have a greater appreciation of the mission of The Funds and the impact of our work. Increasing visits to Ireland for our annual conference and at other times have reinforced this commitment. So much so, that we are encouraging a greater number of visits with the launching of our ‘Fly-In’ program.

The Campaign has also made clear the challenges we now face going forward, particularly the constant struggle to raise undesignated funds to build an endowment and to put The Funds on a more sustainable financial footing. The continuing over-dependence of the organization on a small number of major events, (and by definition), a small number of key individuals is risky. This year the Worldwide Ireland Funds Conference in Dublin will be focusing on these issues and we will launch a series of key initiatives to address them over the next 3 years.

In the meantime, staff, Directors and supporters alike should take a well-deserved bow and get a break before we tackle the next great challenges in the life of The Ireland Funds. Kudos and sincere thanks to one and all. Onward and upward!

Kingsley Aikins
President & CEO
The American Ireland Fund
The Worldwide Ireland Funds

Scott Nichols has had a unique perspective on The American Ireland Fund’s Hope & History Campaign. An educator, fundraising professional, and principal architect of several groundbreaking capital campaigns – including the Harvard Law School’s last two campaigns – Nichols not only helped shape the AIF’s campaign in its early days, but continues to work with the organization’s leaders as it enters its next phase of development.

Nichols, a graduate of Bucknell University, earned his masters and doctorate in educational administration at Penn. The co-author of five books, he serves on the boards of Bucknell and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and is Dean for Development, Communications, and Alumni Relations at the Harvard Law School. Connect talked with Nichols in early May.

How and when did you first come into contact with
The American Ireland Fund?

I’m guessing that it was early 1998, when -- at the end of a speech I had given on the new realities of fundraising -- an interesting character named Kingsley Aikins came up and introduced himself. He told me that he was the executive director of something called the “American Ireland Fund,” and invited me to go to Ireland to speak with the AIF board at an upcoming session.

So I did. I did a little homework, and the theme of my conversations with them was that it appeared to me that The Ireland Funds had built a great base, but that it was time for them to move forward, in a fundraising sense. Simply put, they had to move away from events, and “retail” fundraising, and move into major giving. I told them that this was an age of great wealth, and increased emphasis on philanthropy. In the future, dinners and golf tournaments, while important, simply wouldn’t get them where they wanted to go.

Of course, The American Ireland Fund was already moving in that direction. At that meeting, in fact, board chair [Sir] Tony O’Reilly made his $5 million commitment, which kicked off the campaign. So at least some board members were already inclined to think along these lines. I just helped them in that direction.

How important was the role of the board?

The board’s leadership was absolutely critical – as it always is in situations like this. The Ireland Funds had to retool themselves, and even reinvent themselves, after a very successful 20 years. Sometimes it’s hardest for a successful organization to rise to this challenge.

On the other hand, this wasn’t just a good idea looking for support. They had a very strong base to deal with. Once they decided to take the plunge, they had all the tools they needed.

What specifically did the board do to make the campaign’s success possible?

Well, simply put, it recommitted itself, and reorganized itself, which is very hard to do, and takes a lot of courage. So the leaders of the board -- Tony O’Reilly, and then Loretta Brennan Glucksman – first had to be brave. And they were. That was key.

They also made other structural changes. For example, they broadened Kingsley’s role and mandate, and that was also key. Gradually, through a lot of hard work, things fell into place.

Was $100 million a daunting goal? Or put more positively, did you have confidence that the campaign would succeed?

Yes, I was confident. But probably not for the same reasons most people would be. I saw three forces converging. The first was the history of Ireland, Irish Americans, and the Irish people. They have an outstanding charitable ethos, which dates back centuries, and takes many forms. The second was the extraordinary explosion of wealth in Ireland itself -- the “Celtic Tiger.” And the third was a great cause, with a proven delivery vehicle; visionaries at board and staff levels, a visionary leader in Kingsley.

There are lots of great causes out there. So what differentiates one organization from another, if they’re all worth supporting? The answer is leadership. That’s where the partnership between the board and Kingsley came in. That made the ridiculously ambitious $100 million goal something that people could commit themselves to. One more thing, too: an extraordinary staff. In my role, I’m not obliged to say that. But in this case, it’s absolutely true. That staff is outstanding.

Wasn’t there some concern that the “Celtic Tiger” phenomenon would undercut the campaign?

Not as I saw it. Philanthropy takes place in a global context, today. All over the world, there are good people who want to do good. There are 70 million people of Irish descent spread around the world, and concerns in Ireland are naturally part of their philanthropic interests.

But at the same time, it’s hard to persuade people outside Ireland to support their ancestral homeland if the people inside won’t do so. The tide of new Irish wealth – which we should remind ourselves is still limited to a relatively small, but growing percentage of the population – started to make new things possible.

What was your role in the campaign?

I was a campaign consultant, which of course differs greatly from campaign to campaign. In this case, it was apparent to me that the organization really didn’t appreciate its potential. So having seen how many good ingredients were already in place, my job was to encourage them forward. I tried to get them to be more ambitious, rather than less. And, of course, I helped out with some of the mechanics.

Much of your professional work has taken place in academic settings. Was Hope & History very different from campaigns in those settings?

Not really. It was more similar than dissimilar. The key issues – cause, leadership, staff, depth – tend to be common across campaigns.

How do you see The Ireland Funds moving forward?

A good question, and the right one to be asking at this point. This campaign was a great success from a financial standpoint. But like all great campaigns, its non-monetary implications are far more important than the monetary ones.

As I said, the AIF has retooled itself. It has raised the bar – not just for itself, but for others. And this is critically important, in part because the AIF is an organization that is watched by many others. It’s not too much to say that it has become a leader in the non-profit sector, especially in Europe. If you look at the number of seminars and workshops they sponsor on behalf of the non-profit sector, it’s really quite amazing.

Up one level, I think they’ve really emboldened and enhanced the ambitions of the entire non-profit sector. Simply put, if the AIF can make that much progress, and think that big, perhaps other organizations should try to stretch themselves, as well. In a very real sense, they’ve said, “Dare to be great – because it could happen. And by the way: doesn’t your mission really warrant trying to do the best you can, in terms of gathering resources and putting them to work for your good cause?”

And finally, I think they’ve also started an important dialogue about how important the non-profit sector is in the bigger picture. If you look at what’s happened in Ireland, they’ve really succeeded in getting the government, the private sector, and the non-profit sector all talking to one another, all toward the end of building a better Ireland.

So it’s not uniquely an “Irish” success?

No, I think it’s already more than that. At the same time, Ireland was a unique laboratory for this experiment. As I got to know Ireland, I was surprised by two somewhat contradictory things. First, it’s an intimate place, and the people in these three branches of society all know each other, through their leaders. And yet, at the same time, the conversations among them haven’t been extensive, or frequent.

The AIF has helped bring those groups together on a regular basis. I know the organization has even greater ambitions: to keep that dialogue vigorous, and keep the relations close. So pulling leaders together is absolutely vital in advancing not only the non-profit sector, but also the country.

We all know that there are limits on what government can do, in the face of an ever-expanding social agenda. The AIF has already taken a leadership role – if not the leadership role – in bringing together the parties who care, and who have the tools to deal with the problems, challenges, and opportunities of society.

So I have great hopes for, and expectations of, The Ireland Funds.