Foundation Grants and Requests

About the Irish Fest Foundation Grant

The Milwaukee Irish Fest Foundation continues to award grants to not-for-profit entites derived from the earnings on its reserves, provided by Irish Festivals, Inc. The three areas of focus are educational, cultural, and civic/community. The Mary McAleese Grant of $5,000 annually was instituted in honor of the visit of President Mary McAleese to Irish Fest, and will continue for the period of President McAleese's tenure as president.

The Foundation awarded $28,000 in grants in 2009 to the following organizations:

Civic/Community
• Hope House of Milwaukee for youth education
• Dominican HS Irish Cultural Club
• Milwaukee Birthright for outreach
• Casa Romero Renewal Center for EMMAUS youth program
• Milwaukee Catholic Home
• Tosa Tonight Concert Series
• The Guest House for emergency shelter

Educational
• Brookside Irish Fest (KC) for Irish Festivals meeting
• Friends of St. Patrick for printing St. Patrick book

Cultural
• Summerstage for 3 Irish one-act plays
• Irish Curragh Club of Milwaukee for 20th anniversary
• Oireachtas na Gaeilge for its youth program
• Celtic Cultural Center for MadCeltFest 2009
• Montana aelic Cultrual Society for An Ri Ra
• ICHC for Winter Feis & ICHC Feis

McAleese Grant
• Public Achievement for Away From Violence program for youth

The Board of Directors of the Foundation would like to acknowledge and thank Irish Festivals, Inc. for its continuing support and generosity, which allows the Foundation to support projects and organizations in the community and beyond which further the interests of both our organizations.