Philanthropy and dementia care in Ireland

This paper examines The Atlantic Philanthropies investment in dementia in Ireland and its impact on the dementia landscape, particularly in relation to policy. Atlantic has directly invested €33 million in dementia in Ireland and leveraged a further €51 million from grantees, resulting in a total spend of €83 million between 2011 and 2016. The investment was broad and far reaching, encapsulating support for personalised community-based care, brain health, advocacy, education and training in dementia, culminating in support for the formulation and implementation of the first National Dementia Strategy in Ireland. Investing in the right people was a key feature of the Atlantic programme and one of the main drivers of its success. A close and credible relationship with government was also important for success. So too was an emphasis on evidence and evaluation, which has been a long-standing trait of Atlantic’s involvement in public policy in Ireland, as well as being influential in overall public service reform in the country. It is difficult to determine what the dementia landscape in Ireland might look like if Atlantic had not invested in the area, but even if one accepts the view that change would have come eventually, Atlantic ensured that it came much faster and in a more coherent manner.