The Atlantic Philanthropies (Atlantic) has directly invested €33 million in dementia in Ireland which in turn has leveraged a further €51 million from government and other agencies, resulting in a total spend of €84 million. In addition, Atlantic funded a joint initiative between Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) announced in 2015 to establish the Global Brain Health Initiative.
The investment was broad and far-reaching, encapsulating support for personalised community-based care, brain health initiatives, research, advocacy, education and training in dementia – all of which has influenced and helped secure ongoing support for the formation and implementation of the National Dementia Strategy in Ireland.
Collaboration among grantees is very important to Atlantic’s investment programme, making it possible for leading research institutions, organisations, advocates and practitioners to work together, in a co-ordinated and concerted effort to enhance the lives of people with dementia and their family carers.
The role of Atlantic in Ireland’s journey towards a biopyschosocial model of care for people with dementia is now a documented exemplar for other countries considering engaging with philanthropic organisations and conversely for philanthropic organisations considering investment in the ageing sector and more specifically dementia.
Investment by Programme
Here’s how funding helped change practice, policy and care in Ireland.
Total funding sources for dementia investment programme
| Project | Atlantic Funding | Matched Funding Source | Total Funding |
| Genio Community | €2,000,000 | Health Service Executive- €2,000,000 | €4,000,000 |
| Genio Hospitals | €1,600,000 | Health Service Executive – €1,000,000 | €2,600,000 |
| Genio Evidence Base | €324,600 | – | €324,600 |
| Health Research Board | €2,700,700 | Department of Health/Health Research Board – €1,870,000 | €4,570,700 |
| Age Friendly Ireland | €178,426 | Local Partners – €259,000
Home Instead – €30,000 |
€467,426 |
| Health Service Executive – National Dementia Strategy | €12,000,000 | Health Service Executive /Department of Health – €15,500,000 | €27,500,000 |
| University College Cork | €2,330,000 | University College Cork/Health Service Executive – €2,330,000 | €4,660,000 |
| Trinity College Dublin – NEIL | €2,454,399 | Trintiy College Dublin – €425,000
Other – €12,835,000 |
€15,714,399 |
| Alzheimer Society of Ireland | €1,524,093 | Alzheimer Socieety of Ireland – €1,513,000 | €3,037,093 |
| Health Service Executive – SAT | €2,000,000 | Department of Health/Department of Finance – €4,280,925
Health Service Executive – €4,404,325 |
€10,685,250 |
| Irish Hospice Foundation | €1,500,000 | Fundraising/Irish Hospice Foundation reserves – €1,581,432 | €3,081,432 |
| Third Age – Sage | €2,000,000 | Health Service Executive – €2,000,000
Other sources – €369,250 |
€4,369,250 |
| Dublin City University – Elevator programme | €935,000 | Health Service Executive – €800,000 | €1,735,000 |
| Trinity College Dublin – Creating Excellence in Dementia | €388,132 | – | €388,132 |
| Trinity College Dublin – Living with Dementia | €1,200,000 | – | €1,200,000 |
| Total | €33,135,350 | 51,197,932 | 84,333,682 |
For more information on Atlantic’s Investment see
“There was no collaboration. There is now some collaboration and that needs to be built upon”
Kate Irving, Dementia Elevator Training Programme, DCU
