What Rethink Ireland does

Rethink Ireland Limited (Company no. 529841, RCN 20108014, CHY 21092) is Ireland's national social innovation fund, operating since 2016 as a venture philanthropy intermediary under CEO Deirdre Mortell and Board Chair Áine Kerr. Headquartered at Trinity Technology and Enterprise Campus in Dublin, the organisation runs an open-application model through which Irish non-profits, social enterprises, and community organisations apply to thematic funds and, if selected, receive cash grants (typically €50,000 to €210,000) bundled with a non-financial Accelerator Programme covering strategy, impact measurement, communications, diversity, and fundraising, plus bespoke 1:1 business consulting. Since inception it has created 58 funds, deployed over €109 million, supported 448 social innovations reaching more than 1.15 million people, and helped over 3,309 individuals into employment.

The core technology is administrative rather than proprietary: an online application portal (hosted on a Salesforce Experience Cloud-style domain), event-based intake (Application Clinics, Discovery Days), and CRM-driven awardee management. Revenue mechanics are dual-stream: philanthropic fundraising from corporates (Z Zurich Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, Deloitte, Zurich Ireland, Google.org, State Street Foundation, JPMorganChase, BNY), families, individuals, and foundations; plus matched government funding through the Dormant Accounts Fund, the Department of Rural and Community Development, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, which multiplies donor euros several times over. The organisation also leads Ireland's National Competence Centre for Social Innovation (2024-2027) as part of the EU INSISST consortium spanning six European countries.

Customer segments are hybrid. Downstream, Rethink Ireland serves Irish social innovators across disability, youth employment, education, climate, social enterprise, equality, mental health, and digital inclusion verticals, with named beneficiaries including iScoil, FoodCloud, Bounce Back Recycling, Moyross Education Support Programme, WALK, and Midlands Science. Upstream, it serves institutional donors and government partners seeking matched, de-risked deployment channels for impact capital. Pricing is non-commercial: awardees receive grants and capacity-building support at zero cost, while donors receive matched leverage and impact reporting.

Name

Rethink Ireland

Legal name

Rethink Ireland Limited

Website

https://rethinkireland.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rethink Ireland is Ireland's national social innovation fund, running a venture philanthropy model that deploys philanthropic and government-matched grants plus business supports to innovative non-profits addressing social and environmental challenges across Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Philanthropy and Social Innovation Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Venture philanthropy
• Social innovation funding
• Grantmaking services
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Impact investment funds

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Fundraising: Rethink Ireland raises funds from private philanthropists, foundations, companies, and individuals. They operate a venture philanthropy model where donors contribute to themed funds that support social innovations.
2. Government Partnership Funding: Partnership with Irish Government departments (Department of Rural and Community Development, Department of Children, Disability and Equality, etc.) where government matches philanthropic donations through mechanisms like the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rethink Ireland operates as Ireland's national social innovation fund, raising philanthropic capital and matching government funds (notably through the Dormant Accounts Fund) to create themed grant funds. These funds provide cash grants ranging from €50,000 to €210,000 to non-profits and social enterprises, paired with non-financial supports including the Accelerator Programme, bespoke business coaching, impact measurement training, and network access. The organization's venture philanthropy model targets innovative non-profits addressing social inclusion, employment barriers, disability participation, climate, digital literacy, and mental health in Ireland.

Product overview

Rethink Ireland operates as Ireland's social innovation fund, functioning as a venture philanthropy organisation rather than a traditional product company. The core offering consists of grant funds that combine cash awards with non-financial support packages (accelerator programme, business development, networking). Key funds include Skills for Tomorrow Fund (€1.5m with Deloitte), Sustainability Step-Up Fund (€1.5m with Zurich), Disability Participation Fund 4.0 (€3.5m with government), Impact Fund 2025 (€1.1m), Empower Tech Futures Fund (€1.6m), Hi Digital Fund (€540k with Vodafone), and Breaking Barriers Fund (€1.37m with State Street). Supporting infrastructure includes the Accelerator Programme providing capacity-building workshops and 1:1 consulting, plus the AI For Good Discovery Days free training workshops. As of 2026, Rethink Ireland reports having created 58 funds worth over €109 million since 2016, supporting 448 social innovations reaching over 1.15 million people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skills for Tomorrow Fund A €1.5 million, 2.5-year thematic fund supported by Deloitte Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development that provides cash grants of €150,000–€187,500 plus Accelerator Programme access and bespoke business supports to Irish non-profits creating employment pathways for marginalised communities.
• Sustainability Step-Up Fund A €1.5 million, two-year thematic fund supported by Zurich Ireland and the Dormant Accounts Fund that backs grassroots organisations and social enterprises addressing the climate crisis through circular economy, climate stewardship, biodiversity restoration, and sustainable practices.
• Disability Participation and Awareness Fund 4.0 A €3.5 million thematic fund on behalf of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality supporting up to 18 innovative projects for people with disabilities across community/sports participation, arts/cultural activities, employment/social enterprise, and animal-assisted approaches.
• More for Limerick Social Enterprise Fund A philanthropic fund targeting €1 million for Limerick-based social enterprises, launched in partnership with Limerick City and County Council and the Department of Rural and Community Development to support local innovation addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.
• Empower Tech Futures Fund A €1.6 million three-year thematic fund backed by JPMorganChase and BNY alongside the Department of Rural and Community Development, addressing employment barriers for marginalised young adults aged 18–30 in Dublin and Cork through cash grants, digital and technology skills training, and work placements.
• Hi Digital Fund A €540,000 thematic fund in partnership with Vodafone Foundation that supports five community groups to improve digital literacy among older adults in Ireland, with a goal of benefiting over 13,000 seniors over two years.
• Breaking Barriers Fund A €1.37 million thematic fund in partnership with State Street Foundation supporting five organisations creating pathways to sustainable employment for marginalised communities including Travellers, people of colour, migrants, and refugees.
• Impact Fund 2025 A €1.1 million thematic fund investing in up to eight community-led projects focused on social inclusion, wellbeing, and environmental resilience across Munster and Wexford.
• AI For Good Discovery Days A free nationwide workshop series supported by Google.org that teaches AI ethics and practical AI skills to non-profits, social enterprises, and community organisations, helping them adopt responsible AI tools.
• Accelerator Programme A capacity-building programme providing interactive training workshops on strategy development, impact measurement, communications, storytelling, diversity and inclusion, and fundraising, combined with bespoke 1:1 business consulting for Rethink Ireland awardees.
• National Competence Centre for Social Innovation (NCCSI) A transnational initiative (2024–2027) led by Rethink Ireland and Genio as part of the INSISST Consortium, strengthening Ireland's social innovation ecosystem through ecosystem convening, capacity building, impact learning, and policy feedback.

Quantifiable outcome

• €109 million deployed across 58 funds since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GeniocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-lead of Ireland's National Competence Centre for Social Innovation (NCCSI) alongside Rethink Ireland. Genio brings 13+ years of experience managing €70 million in public and philanthropic funding for social innovations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Social Finance UK: UK social enterprise and charity that intermediates between investors, governments and charities to create outcomes-based contracts and venture-philanthropy funds. Highly comparable venture philanthropy/intermediation model serving non-profits in a single national market.
• Genio: Ireland-based foundation supporting social innovation in disability, mental health and dementia, with €70M+ deployed. Co-leads Ireland's NCCSI with Rethink Ireland and operates a near-identical venture philanthropy model in the same geography.
• Big Issue Invest: UK social-impact investment arm of Big Issue providing grants and loans to social enterprises. Directly comparable in combining non-financial accelerator support with patient capital for social-purpose organisations.
• Inspiring Scotland: Scottish charity administering outcome-funder partnerships and venture philanthropy funds for social innovation. Comparable single-country intermediation model matching government and private funding to social-purpose delivery.
• Social Ventures Australia: Australian social-purpose organisation providing investment and capacity-building support to ventures tackling disadvantage. Direct analogue running venture philanthropy funds plus accelerator/non-financial support to awardees in a single national market.

Broad incumbents

• The Ireland Funds: Global philanthropic network of Irish diaspora donors funding non-profits in Ireland and abroad. Comparable in mobilising private philanthropy for Irish non-profits but as a much broader grantmaker, not a venture philanthropy operator.
• Philanthropy Ireland: National umbrella body for Irish philanthropy and grantmaking. Comparable Irish-focused grantmaking ecosystem but operates as a sector membership body rather than a direct fund deployer.
• Oak Foundation: Large international grantmaking foundation funding social and environmental causes globally, including in Ireland. Comparable thematic coverage (disability, equality, environment) but at vastly larger scale and across many geographies.

Regional players

• Z Zurich Foundation: Swiss-headquartered corporate foundation that is Rethink Ireland's anchor donor on the €1.5M Headstart Fund. A donor rather than a peer fund-manager, but operationally comparable in running thematic, time-bound funds with non-financial support.

Others

• European Investment Fund - EaSI Guarantee Facility: EU-level facility supporting social enterprise and microfinance intermediaries. Comparable only as part of the broader social-innovation funding ecosystem Rethink Ireland operates within; not a direct competitor for non-profit grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Rethink_Ireland
• Facebookfacebook.com/rethinkirl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/7592870
• Instagraminstagram.com/rethinkireland
• TikToktiktok.com/@rethinkireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rethink Ireland