The success of the Irish economy has not affected the determination of various donors to contribute to the Ireland Funds, a conference of the organisation was told at the weekend.
There is a greater desire than ever among the diaspora to contribute to the charitable organisation which supports peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development on the island of Ireland, according to its president and chief executive Kingsley Aikins.
This increased interest in the charity may in fact have much to do with the success of the economy, according to Dublin-born Mr Aikins, a former executive with the IDA in Australia.
He has headed up what is now an international fundraising charity since 1997 and the largest "diaspora fundraiser" in the world.
"It's stronger than ever even though Ireland is stronger than ever. Why should people give money to a country that's failing?" Mr Aikins said in Killarney in an interview before a lavish gala dinner on the lawns of Muckross House.
Every country, no matter how strong, needed philanthropy, he added. Irish people were always generous. Those who had done well in this country over the past decade were now also contributing to the Ireland Funds, but were doing so in a new sense of "engaged philanthropy".
"Cheque-book charity is spontaneous. Engaged philanthropy is different," Mr Aikins said.
It had more to do with "investing" in an idea, whether an arts centre or an integrated schools project in Northern Ireland, and sticking with it. A new type of donor had emerged. These were often self-made people, an increasing number of women, and the new donor wanted "measurability and scalability" - they wanted to see where the money was going and how the project was going to grow.
The Ireland Funds was now keen to promote the new notion of "public-private philanthropic support" in the arts, education and health. No government could offer 100 per cent support to these areas and the Ireland Funds were keen to get involved, he said.
Modelled on the American Jewish community's work for Israel, the Ireland Funds was established in Boston by Sir Anthony O'Reilly and his friend, Pittsburgh businessman Dan Rooney, in 1976. It now has operations in 11 countries, including Japan, New Zealand and Monaco, although its biggest contributor is still the US. So far it has raised $300 million (€22.4 million) for its grants, the bulk of it spent in the Republic. It now has more than 100 events annually in 39 cities around the world.
There is strong focus on Northern Ireland, which receives about 30 per cent of the funds raised by the organisation. "We think that now is the time we really have to kick in in Northern Ireland," Mr Aikins said.
Last week a campaign was launched in London to raise €5 million for the "forgotten Irish" of the 1950s who emigrated to England.
At the dinner in Muckross Gardens, the Monaco Ireland Fund presented €1 million which will be used on initiatives to tackle suicide here.
The dinner also saw the book launch of Billy: A Tribute to AWB Vincent, who was a leading member of the Ireland Funds whose family, the Bourn-Vincents, donated Muckross estate and thousands of acres to the State.
The $25,000 (€18,635) AWB Vincent 36th American Ireland Fund Literary Award went to the Donegal Irish language poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh on Saturday night.