Communities set for Big Three Oh

By Margaret Canning – 27 October 2009

A COMMUNITY organisation is launching a major bid to encourage young professionals to get involved in philanthropy.

The Big Three Oh is the 30th anniversary of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, and to celebrate, professionals aged 30 are invited to a special event, The Big Three Oh, in the Black Box in Belfast on November 25.

James Magowan, fund development manager at the Community Foundation, said: "Our foundation aims to introduce philanthropy as a key business issue to Northern Ireland's young professionals.

"As the public purse is squeezed, it's vital that philanthropy from business continues to put money into the community over the next few years.

"We are asking young professionals born in 1979 to come along and make a donation of £30 - a pound for each year of their lives.

"All money raised will be available for distribution among applicant community groups surviving on shoe string budgets who, if selected on the night, will pitch for the money there and then.

"Each 30-year-old participant will get to vote on who gets the biggest share of the cash pot.

"We want to show the difference a little funding can make to a community group, especially when the public purse is under increasing pressure.

"We want our young professionals to consider philanthropy as a serious business issue." For more information on The Big Three Oh, click online at www.communityfoundationni.org.