It was announced recently that the Intel Foundation is making a financial commitment to support coronavirus relief efforts in communities where the company has significant presence, including here in Ireland.
Donating Funds
The Intel Foundation will be directly donating a total of €500,000 to Irish charities to support coronavirus relief and recovery efforts.
The donation will be made to The Community Foundation for Ireland to support their Covid-19 Response Fund which is aimed at the immediate needs of organisations impacted by the pandemic crisis. Part of the Intel donation will be specifically allocated by The Community Foundation for Ireland to organisations in our local area.
The funding will support organisations to continue to provide services over the next number of months and help in adapting services and methods of delivery. Applications can be made to continue or adapt existing work or to pilot new work that will support those most vulnerable as a result of Covid-19.
The response fund is open for applications on a rolling basis and organisations can find further information and details of how to apply by visiting The Community Foundation for Ireland website.
Examples of The Community Foundation for Ireland donations;
- The first of the local area contributions was made recently to the Leixlip Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) who received a donation of €20,000. The work of the Leixlip Society has been impacted by the Covid-19 crisis as they find an increased demand for the services they provide coupled with the challenge of not being able to fundraise in their usual ways, for instance through door-to-door collections.
- One of the focus areas for the Intel donation has been supporting organisations who are helping those experiencing domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic with donations to Safe Ireland, Women’s Aid and Men’s Aid.
In addition to this donation being made to The Community Foundation for Ireland, the Intel Foundation has established a special donation matching campaign to amplify the contributions of our employees in Ireland. Intel employees who donate to CMRF Crumlin, ALONE or Jigsaw will have their donation matched*.
- CMRF Crumlin provides vital funding for CHI Crumlin (previously known as Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin) and The National Children’s Research Centre to enable little patients to have the best possible outcomes. CMRF Crumlin together with donors and partners fund initiatives, research, equipment and projects. CMRF Crumlin are Intel Ireland’s 2020 signature charity.
- ALONE provides Housing with Support, Support Coordination, Befriending, BConnect training and technology, and Campaigns for Change to hundreds of older people every week, who are homeless, socially isolated, living in deprivation or in crisis. Their role supporting older people in communities is particularly vital during this challenging time.
- Jigsaw are the National Centre for Youth Mental Health. Their mission is to advance the mental health of young people in Ireland (aged 12-25) by influencing change, strengthening communities, and delivering services through our evidence informed and early intervention approach. Jigsaw are helping young people across the country cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Donating PPE
In addition to these financial contributions we are also happy to share that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Intel Ireland donated 100,000 items of personal protective equipment – masks, gloves and other gear – to the HSE for health workers on the front lines to support our communities during this critical time.
A further 95,000 items of PPE were donated to the HSE in May 2020.
Supporting our local communities
Our employees are our biggest asset at Intel, and we encourage them to share their experience, talents, and passions with schools and nonprofits in the communities where they live and work. As we adjust to this situation, we are also providing and encouraging virtual volunteer opportunities to help local communities.
We continue to work closely with organisations in our local community to support them through this challenging time and help them to deliver vital services. One example of local support is to the Leixlip Meals on Wheels organisation. One of the specific challenges that the group has at this time is how to continue to provide the service for elderly and vulnerable members of the community who are reliant on the meals. We made a donation to help ensure that they could continue their vital work over the coming weeks – we hope that small gestures such as this will be of practical support to our local community at this challenging time.
We know how important it is for companies to support organisations who are working diligently, in a variety of different ways, to respond to the coronavirus pandemic here in Ireland. Our contributions are made to them with sincere gratitude for their incredible spirit, care, and fortitude in this time of need.
Donating Technology
In an instant, many people have had to figure out how to work and learn from home, which can take some getting used to. It’s even harder if you don’t have a proper set up and the required technology for your work or study at home. At Intel Ireland, we were mindful of this and keen to help in whatever way we could.
One specific way identified to help support organisations through this challenging time was to provide mobile devices, and with this in mind, Intel recently sourced 50 new laptops for donation.
Read more about these laptop donations: Intel donates laptops to support community organisations
Intel’s Global effort
These efforts are part of a wider global response by Intel which includes a donation of 1 million gloves, masks and other equipment to healthcare workers and a $1 million International Red Cross donation Intel committed to in January. The Intel Foundation will provide a total of $4 million to support coronavirus relief efforts in communities where the company has significant presence. The foundation will also offer a further $2 million to match employee donations to support relief efforts around major Intel sites.
Intel also recently announced that it is pledging an additional $50 million in a pandemic response technology initiative to combat the coronavirus through accelerating access to technology at the point of patient care, speeding scientific research and ensuring access to online learning for students. Included in Intel’s effort is an additional innovation fund for requests where access to Intel expertise and resources can have immediate impact.
Read more about Intel’s response: Intel Coronavirus News
* How Matching Donations Work: donations from employees and U.S. retirees will be matched from March 26 to April 10, or until a total of $2 million is reached.
About The Community Foundation for Ireland
The Community Foundation for Ireland believes in a fair, caring and vibrant Ireland for now and the future. They work with individuals, families, corporates and other trusts and foundations to translate giving in the moment to giving that is strategic and impactful. They respond to Ireland’s complex needs by building deep relationships with non-profit organisations working at the coal face. They build platforms with local communities and collaborate with the public sector. They use their knowledge to help donors translate their aspirations of giving back into effective investments of their experience and resources. They have been providing grants since 2000 and in 2019 gave out €8.15 million to communities in Ireland and abroad. They have a dedicated and committed staff; they have extensive experience of grant-making from working with over 4,000 non-profit organisations at a national, regional and local level throughout Ireland and overseas. With over 1,800 community foundations globally, the community foundation model is a proven and effective model for social change.
The Community Foundation for Ireland Covid-19 Response Fund;
The Covid-19 health crisis is testing all organisations and individuals across Irish society and has a particular impact on the community and voluntary sector which provides critical supports across communities, including to the most vulnerable communities impacted by the virus. The Community Foundation for Ireland set up its Covid-19 Fund to provide an effective, responsive fund for all donors – whether individuals, families, corporates or trusts and foundations and to avoid a multiplicity of small funds and well-intentioned but fragmented responses.
For more visit The Community Foundation for Ireland website – www.communityfoundation.ie.
About the Intel Foundation
Since 1988, the Intel Foundation has been committed to improving lives in communities around the world. The Foundation acts as a catalyst for change by providing disaster relief and support, investing in innovative STEM programs, and amplifying the investments of Intel employees across a broad spectrum of personal philanthropy and volunteering. Their vision is inspired by one of Intel’s co-founders, Robert Noyce, and his oft-repeated declaration, “don’t be encumbered by history, go off and do something wonderful.”
Additional information about Intel is available at:
Web – intel.ie | Twitter – @Intel_IRL | Facebook – Intel Ireland
Media contact: Sarah Sexton | sarah.sexton@intel.com | + 353 1 606 8537