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Trócaire’s income jumped significantly – by €12m – in the last year, marking the second-highest level achieved in the 45-year history of the organisation. The organisation’s newly released Annual Report records an income of €75m last year, €29.1m of which came from public donations and €45.8m of which came from institutional grants. Both public donations and institutional grants rose significantly, from €22.2m and €40.1m respectively.
The Lenten campaign remains Trócaire’s largest fundraising campaign, generating €8.7m, while an emergency appeal for drought and conflict crises in east Africa resulted in €5m being raised from a national church collection.
Trócaire’s reach increased in numerous countries. For example:
“It was a year of incredible generosity from the Irish public,” said Éamonn Meehan, Trócaire Executive Director. “A total of €29.1m was donated. That was underlined by donations of €8.7m to our Lenten Appeal, an increase of €1.3m from 2016. These donations are the lifeblood of our work.
“I want to thank our supporters around the country for their generosity that allowed Trócaire to reach 2.8 million people last year. That support helps to build a more fair and just world. That is the core of our work and, ultimately, it is the measure by which we judge ourselves.”
While donations to Trócaire continue to make a real difference to the lives of people in over 20 countries in the developing world, Éamonn Meehan warned that worsening climate change is pushing many people into poverty:
“Climate change continues to worsen the situation facing millions of the world’s poorest people. Droughts, storms and other erratic weather events push people into poverty and have a devastating impact on communities. The response from the world’s highest polluting countries, including Ireland, has been weak. A much stronger response is needed by those who contribute most to this global crisis.”
Although the boost in income led to increased support for people living with poverty and injustice, Trócaire’s staff and partners in certain areas have been forced to work against a worrying trend of civil-society organisations being denied the freedom to operate and speak freely.
“Populism has led to a growing disregard for human rights,” said Meehan. “The freedom and space for civil society organisations to operate is tightening in many countries. This should be a concern for everybody. Like a free press, a free civil society is fundamental to democracy.
“Our partners operate in countries where human rights activists live with daily threats of violence against them as a result of standing up in support of communities at risk. Trócaire works with incredibly brave people who risk their lives to defend people’s land and homes. Last year alone, over 300 human rights defenders around the world lost their lives.”
