Alan Farrell
Question:13. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the Social Innovation Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49609/23]
View answerTuesday, 14 November 2023
Questions (13, 639)
Bernard Durkan
Question:639. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development to report of the successes achieved through the Social Innovation Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49994/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 639 together.
Rethink Ireland (previously Social Innovation Fund Ireland) is a charity created by the Government in 2013. Launched in 2016, Rethink is an organisation set up by the Government to stimulate philanthropy and aid the development of social innovation in Ireland. The organisation has done this by establishing a philanthropic fund of significant size and impact to aid the development of social innovation.
As a partnership between the private sector and Government, Rethink Ireland has been funded from the Dormant Accounts Fund through contractual funding arrangements since its creation in 2013. The business model which these arrangements support is for Government funding to match the philanthropic donations on a 50:50 co-funded basis i.e., every euro raised in philanthropic funding is matched by Government. However, this is subject to budget allocations as part of the estimates process.
The current five-year contract between Rethink Ireland and my Department runs from January 2021 to December 2025 and provides match funding to a maximum of €5.5m per annum. In 2022, my Department provided a total of €5.5m to Rethink from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
It should also be noted that, while my Department provides the majority of its match-funding, Rethink Ireland have also received funding from other Departments and my Department encourages these partnerships.
To date, with philanthropic and Government support, Rethink Ireland has created a €96 million Social Innovation Fund and created 54 individual funds across five key themes of Health, Education, Equality, Social Enterprise, and Climate. These funds have reached over 829,000 people and supported 2,700 people into employment. During 2022, Rethink supported 185 awardees with a total Fund value of €42.7 million.
The Social Innovation Fund assists innovative non-profit organisations working in communities across the country, to help innovations rise to the challenges of the most pressing issues across the five themes. Cash grants and business supports enable social innovations to develop and maximise their impact within their communities.
On a related note, my Department is currently developing a National Philanthropy Policy. The policy aims to set out specific actions to enable philanthropy to grow and thrive in Ireland for social good. Once finalised, it will identify the supports required for the sector to thrive and maximise its potential. One of the key objectives of the new strategy will be around strengthening Government and Sectoral partnerships.