Barnardos raises €8.5m funding

By GORDON DEEGAN

ONE OF IRELAND’S best known children’s charities, Barnardos, has bucked the trend in the recession by increasing the amount it raised in 2009 through fundraising to €8.5 million.

Figures by Barnardos Republic of Ireland Ltd show that the chief factor behind the 14 per cent jump in income was Chuck Feeney’s Atlantic Philanthropies more than tripling its contribution to the charity to €1.23 million.

The figures show that funds raised through “committed and cash giving” increased by 13 per cent from €2.37 million to €2.68 million, with funding raised from “events and campaigns” increasing from €891,000 to €926,000.

In spite of the increase in monies raised, a spokeswoman for Barnardos confirmed yesterday that the charity introduced voluntary pay cuts for its 400 staff last year.

The accounts do not disclose the salary of the charity’s chief executive Fergus Finlay. However, the filings for 2009 show one staff member received between €110,000 and €120,000, and four others between €100,000 and €110,000. Following the cuts, no staff member receives in excess of €110,000, while three are paid in excess of €100,000.

There was a 5 per cent pay cut on the first €30,000 of salary; 7.5 per cent on the next €40,000 and 10 per cent of any amount over that.

In total, the charity spent €24.6 million in 2009 after raising €27.5 million in income. Some €16 million came from the HSE, government departments and other statutory authorities. Barnardos recorded a loss of €243,000 on its shop network in 2009.

The charity spent €2.24 million in fundraising expenditure in 2009, compared to €2.11 million in 2008.Barnardos recorded a surplus of €2.9 million in 2009 – an eightfold increase on the €320,000 surplus for 2008.

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Barnardos is an Atlantic grantee.