Five organisations dedicated to promoting inclusion and strengthening local communities have been selected as recipients of the €1.5 million Connected Communities Fund. The three-year fund was established by Mason Hayes & Curran and Rethink Ireland, with matched funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht through the Dormant Accounts Fund, to support initiatives that foster belonging, improve media literacy, and address social division at community level.
The successful organisations are Foróige, Neighbourhood Network, National Youth Council of Ireland, ShoutOut, and Hope and Courage Collective. Each awardee will receive a combination of cash grants and tailored business and governance support, aimed at helping established initiatives expand their reach and deliver long-term, sustainable impact across Ireland.
The fund targets practical, community-led action to strengthen social cohesion, reduce polarisation, and support marginalised voices. Leaders from Mason Hayes & Curran and Rethink Ireland highlighted the importance of investing in local trust, reliable information, and inclusive spaces where communities can collaborate to address shared challenges and build resilience.
Through the funding, Foróige will expand its youth integration project in Dublin, Neighbourhood Network will deepen its work tackling loneliness and social isolation, and the National Youth Council of Ireland will equip youth workers to respond to hate and hostility in communities. ShoutOut will scale a national programme countering anti-LGBTQI+ misinformation, while Hope and Courage Collective will build networks to help communities respond safely and constructively to hate.
Applications for the Connected Communities Fund opened in October 2024, with awardees selected through a rigorous assessment and due diligence process. Over the next three years, the fund will invest €1.5 million in community-based solutions, supported by ongoing impact measurement and reporting to ensure meaningful and lasting outcomes.
