This episode looks at the challenges of the Cost of Living Crisis.Featuring Róisín Wood, CEO of the Community Foundation, Eddie Lynch, the Commissioner for Older People and Liam Duggan, Senior Policy and Engagement officer for Carers NI.

Understanding the challenges of Peacebuilding in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland: A View From Grassroots Peacebuilders. We are joined by Shauna Deery- PIP Programme (Peace Impact Programme) Development Officer, Community Foundation NI, along with James from North West Cultural Partnership and Kevin from Creggan Enterprises. Who share the challenges they are facing and the key to making lasting change.

Róisín Wood- Chief Executive of the Foundation is joined by Chara and Natasha from GLOW NI (Giving Life Opportunities to Women) to explore the challenges faced by women and young girls in everyday society.

The Foundation awarded £700,000 towards supporting Asylum seekers, but what's underneath the figures, what impact does this funding have? A young person, under the age of 18, arriving in Northern Ireland alone. Maria McCloskey, Immigration Solicitor at the Children’s Law Centre shares with us the torturous journey these children endure to arrive in NI and the long process to get granted asylum. We are also joined by Sandra, who has been through this process and is now helping others in a similar situation. She explains the barriers faced after an already traumatising journey to get here.

Dawn Shackles our Director of peacebuilding speaks to Bassma Kodmani about her involvement in peacebuilding and conflict work in Syria. Although both countries are very different they share how getting to the root cause is vital to begin resolving solutions to conflict. Dawn comments, "We have political parties that are promoting an agenda of exclusion as opposed to inclusion, excluding those voices that are most on the hard-line, and as a result, feeding the tensions that are there. Instead of moving us forward, it's pulling us back."

Welcome to Giving NI, a podcast series from the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland that explores what lies at the heart of giving and what makes people want to give.In this episode, we speak to Jackie McCoy from Give Inc and Mary O’Dwyer from the Acorn Giving Circle, based in Derry~Londonderry.  Síofra Healy from the Community Foundation is also here to share some insights about giving circles and some of the many different ways they work.

For over 40 years the Foundation has been connecting people who care with causes that matter. The Foundation manages 64 funds including S7L supported by Gordon Hamilton. Since it was established in 2016 this fund has awarded £60,000 of funding to various charities supporting young people, mental health and employability. Enormous things are being achieved today through Philanthropy in NI, things which simply wouldn’t happen without the generosity and involvement of local people.

Welcome to Giving NI, a podcast series from the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland that explores what lies at the heart of giving and what makes people want to give.   In this series, we are joined by Holly and Daisy, whose family set up a Foundation in memory of their Mum after she passed away aged just 52.  The Ann McGenney Fund,  has awarded over £20,000 to small rural communities aiming to make a difference.  Tune in to hear how Holly, Daisy and family continue to remember their mum and the work she did through a fund in her memory.

Dawn Shackles, Director of peacebuilding and Communities joins Cillian McGivern, Upper Springfield and Whiterock Integrated Partnership as they chat about the challenges faced by communities during lockdown and how we can not only build back better but build back fairer.

For over 40 years the Foundation has been connecting people who care with causes that matter. The Foundation awards millions each year to communities who are working with those caught at the margins of society, in particular, the refugee and asylum-seeking community, the more vulnerable of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the travelling community and we will work to support organisations who build capacity in these communities. For the past three years we have been working in partnership with Comic Relief through a dedicated fund contributing to their core social change areas of Children Surviving and Thriving, Global Mental Health Matters, Fighting for Gender Justice and A Safe Place To Be, ensuring funds reach those who need it most and today we are joined by two charities funded by Comic relief who have been supporting the LGBTQIA+ community Lee from Cara-Friend and the Rainbow Project with Ren and Mardi.

In the first of our podcasts, we caught up with Orla, the Foundation’s grants director and Jane, a Trustee of the Foundation to hear about how the charity sector and communities responded quickly to Covid19. From the creation of a new fund of £70,000 which grew to award £5 million supporting over 800 communities in Northern Ireland, we hear how groups worked creatively and tirelessly (and continue to do so) to support the most vulnerable in society.

Today we are joined with Shauna Kelpie, Acorn Fund & North West Fund Development officer and Dessie, Centre manager from HURT (Have your tomorrow’s) a previous grantee of the Keadue Fund. Last year the Keadue Fund supported 14 organisations awarding £180,00. For its third round of grants the fund opened again this year supporting organisations in the Derry/Londonderry area.

As a result of the New Decade New Approach commitment to Citizen Assemblies, the Foundation has been working with others in the sector to bring together key stakeholders across politics, the community sector and experts in the delivery of a Citizen Assembly from Scotland and England.  Holding online facilitated discussions, on the opportunity to develop and take forward Citizen Assemblies and Participatory Budgeting in Northern Ireland. Listen below as Paul, Head of Innovation and Voice at the Foundation, Rebekah from Involve and Ruth, a previous Citizen Assembly participant, share how Citizen Assemblies can help NI to build back after Covid.

This week Síofra Healy, David McCurley and Leigh Yeaman got together to discuss how the investment and charity finance landscape is changing. For many investments is no longer about solely gaining returns, listen to find out what you should consider when making an ethical investment, the trends, opportunities and risk involved.

In August 2020, the Department for Communities along with 5 local philanthropists announced £500k for a pioneering initiative to tackle social issues by building the capacity of the voluntary/community sector.  The Capacity Building Fund is managed and administered by the Community Foundation. Grants up to £15,000 were available to the sector alongside a package of support delivered by NICVA, mentoring and training to help with innovation, sustainability and resilience.  View previous and upcoming webinars here.