Donations to Irish Hospice Foundation increase but income drops

In 2016 the foundation received donations of €2.37m, up slightly on the previous year

Sharon Foley, chief executive of the Irish Hospice Foundation, received a salary of just under €112,000 in 2016. Photograph: Alan Betson
Sharon Foley, chief executive of the Irish Hospice Foundation, received a salary of just under €112,000 in 2016. Photograph: Alan Betson

Income at the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has fallen by almost 6.4 per cent to €4.55 million. The drop is due to a reduction in contributions from fundraising activities, training and education events and HSE grants. However, the foundation did record an increase in donations, of just under €50,000, to €2.37 million.

In accounts recently filed with the Companies Office for the 12 months to the end of 2016, the IHF recorded HSE grants of over €132,000 in 2016 which included €5,000 towards the cost of developing a DVD.

Fundraising costs at the organisation specialising in end-of-life care was €1.3 million, down slightly on the previous year, while total expenditure also dropped by over €300,000 to €4.25 million.

As with most charities, fundraising is a key income source for the IHF with the directors reporting that the foundation is “primarily dependent on voluntary donations” to fund its programmes.

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Reimbursed

The company employed an average of 39 staff per month last year with a total of six employees being paid in excess of €70,000. Key management personnel were reimbursed €554,558 for the year, a 5 per cent increase on the previous year. The chief executive of the charity, Sharon Foley, was paid €111,958 in the same period.

Net funds at the company increased to €2.6 million in 2016, a reserve level that is considered to be “adequate for current purposes”.

Over the next four years the IHF plans to maintain its long-term stability through a variety of measures including financial independence and a “cohesive fundraising programme”. It also hopes to secure long term funding for a number of programmes including the “nurses for nightcare” programme – a service providing nursing support for a person in the last days of their life.

Peter Hamilton

Peter Hamilton

Peter Hamilton is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in business