Organised by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, a conference on Philanthropy and the Arts takes place this Thursday morning, 18 October, at the Smock Alley Auditorium in Dublin.

The event coincides with the recent launch of the Arts Council’s Raise initiative, which aims to raise €10 million in private funding for eight arts organisations over the next five years. The eight organisations are the Irish Film Institute, the Royal Hibernian Academy, Na Píobairí Uilleann, the Galway Arts Festival, the Model gallery in Sligo, the National Chamber Choir, Wexford Festival Opera and the Gate Theatre.

The conference speakers on Thursday include Peter Keegan of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Caitriona Fottrell of The Ireland Funds, Orlaith McBride, Director of the Arts Council, Liam Keogh of the Revenue Commissioners, and David Keogh of 2into3, the Project Managers for the Raise initiative. The full programme is as follows:

Registration and Coffee 7.30–8am

Welcome 8.00am
Jimmy Deenihan, TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Opening Session 8.10am – 9.30am
The Corporate Giver
Peter Keegan, Country Executive Ireland, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
The International Givers
Caitriona Fottrell, Vice President and Director Ireland, The Ireland Funds
The Forum on Philanthropy
John R. Healy, Forum on Philanthropy

Mid-Morning Session 10.00am – 11.30 am
Philanthropic Goals for the Arts Sector in Ireland
Orlaith McBride, Director, The Arts Council
Raise – Arts Council Fundraising Capacity Building Pilot
Dennis O’Connor (2into3) – Project Managers of Raise Pilot
Tax Incentives
Liam Keogh, Revenue Commissioners
A National Institution’s Experience
Frances McGee, Director, National Archives of Ireland
Lessons From New Stream – Building Future Capacity
Stuart McLaughlin, CEO, Business to Arts

Closing Session 12.00 – 1.30 pm: Case Studies
Philanthropy and the Small Arts Organisation
Trevor White, Little Museum of Dublin
Capacity Building and Philanthropy
Patrick T. Murphy, Director, RHA
A New York Experience of the Non-Profit Contemporary Art Sector
Breda Kennedy, Independent Consultant, Arts and Culture
Smock Alley: Returning to the Past
Patrick Sutton, Director, Smock Alley Theatre

Closing
Conference Close: Jimmy Deenihan, TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

For more information and to register, email keith [dot] ashmore [at] ahg [dot] gov [dot] ie