Emigrant Support Programme, 2015-16
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides financial support through it's Emigrant Support Programme to not-for-profit organisations which are engaged in the delivery of services to members of Irish communities overseas. Over the last 10 years, the Programme has assisted over 400 organisations in 26 countries with grants totaling more than $130 million.
The majority of funding from the Emigrant Support Programme goes to support organisations which provide welfare information and advisory services to Irish citizens living abroad, particularly those who are most vulnerable and marginalised, including the elderly. In recent years, the Programme has expanded to support capital, community, cultural and heritage projects which foster a greater sense of identity and belonging within Irish communities and strengthen their links with Ireland.
One of the recipients of Emigrant Support Programme funding in the US south-east is the Irish Cultural Museum of New Orleans, which hosted an exhibition on the Irish Famine to coincide with International Famine Commemorations in new Orleans in November 2014. Terri Landry with the Irish Cultural Museum said "Funding from the Emigrant Support Programme has furthered the mission of the St. Patrick Foundation and the Irish Cultural Museum of New Orleans to inform and enlighten visitors about the deep bond that exists between the Crescent City and Ireland. This support helped the museum develop a program of cultural events that includes Irish music, storytelling and lectures on history and genealogy. It also made possible the museum's 'An Gorta Mór: The Great Hunger' exhibit. which has increased museum attendance and will gain a wider audience as a traveling exhibition later this year.
The Emigrant Support Programme for 2015 is now open and applications for funding will be accepted until Wednesday, February 25. Applications can be made online at www.irishabroadgrants.ie. In advance of applying, organisations must register for a surname and password, which will be automatically generated and immediately emailed back to organisations. [This must be done even if organisations have a login and password for previous years. The above website also contains information on the application process and other relevant material.
The Emigrant Support Programme is administered by the Irish Abroad Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with decisions on funding made in Dublin and communicated to applicant organisations thereafter. The 2015-16 funding year runs from July 1, 2015 until 30 June, 2016.