Irish Aid

Hi guys
 
I had a long meeting with Sinead Walsh of Irish Aid in their offices in Limerick yesterday.  She very kindly gave me almost 2.5 hours of her time (I couldn't believe the time when I got out of the meeting!), and we had a long and robust discussion about our programmes, Nepal, and lots of other things.  She is heading over to Nepal in April on a monitoring trip, and she worked with Concern in India and Pakistan, so she has a good understanding of the issues. 
 
The good news is that the Civil Society Fund (CSF) is finally reopening, the first round since March 2008, so we will be able to apply!  The bad news is that there will be substantially less funding available than in the past, due to the government's budgetary cut-backs, so fewer applications will get funding.  But at least we have a level playing field again, so I am delighted that we can give it our best shot, and may the best man win!  The round will open on 15th April with applications due by 10th June, and decisions will be made by mid September, with funding to be disbursed in October.  So it would be October at the earliest that we would see funding, but if we can secure it, their preference is to give organisations three year commitments, so it would really allow us to move on to the next level, and give us much more financial stability and resources.  If we can get this over the line, we then move into the next stage of our development as an organisation, like a small company moving from start-up to growth stage in the lifecycle.
 
Have a lovely Easter break! 
 
Lots of love
Nicky