The Hope Foundation

What The Hope Foundation does

The Hope Foundation is an Irish-registered charity (RCN 20040710) founded in 1999 by Maureen Forrest that delivers direct services to street and slum-connected children in Kolkata, India. It currently operates 58 on-the-ground projects spanning child protection, education, healthcare, vocational training, and emergency response, including its own HOPE Hospital (established 2008) and a network of 10 Residential Childcare Centres. Its model is operationally distinctive among Irish charities in that it runs programs directly rather than acting purely as a grant-making intermediary.

The foundation funds its work through a diversified mix of individual donations, recurring child sponsorship at €21 per month, Gifts of HOPE, tax-efficient giving vehicles, corporate partnerships, and a portfolio of fundraising events including the Cork Lunch, Dublin Lunch, Fashion Show, Calcutta Run, Golf Classic, and Cannonball Ireland. Major corporate and institutional relationships include a six-plus-year blindness-eradication partnership with Specsavers Ireland, the Rose of Tralee, and the TEFL Institute (joined November 2025). It reports cumulative outcomes of 55,000+ children supported through education, roughly 50,000 people seen at eye camps, 1,710 eye surgeries performed, and over 22,000 pairs of glasses provided.

The foundation's public positioning is reinforced by a roster of celebrity ambassadors including Jeremy Irons, Jacqui Hurley, Alex Kendellen, Miss Ireland Jasmine Gerhardt, and Anna Daly. It does not operate a technology platform, does not disclose annual revenue, and presents itself primarily through event-driven, ambassador-led, and partnership-driven fundraising rather than digital channels. Strategic priorities visible in the public record include a multi-floor expansion of HOPE Hospital to add diagnostic services and scale ICU capacity from 4 to 14 beds, and continued investment in flagship event franchises such as the Calcutta Run, which has cumulatively raised €4M over 21 years.

Name

The Hope Foundation

Legal name

The Hope Foundation

Website

https://hopefoundation.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid and Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Child and Youth Services (62411), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Youth Housing, Foster Care & Wraparound Support (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAO), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Child sponsorship programs
• Humanitarian aid services
• Nonprofit healthcare
• Charitable education
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Cork

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, collected via the website donation portal, with preset amounts (€50, €100, €250) and custom donation options.
2. Child Sponsorship: Monthly sponsorship programme where donors sponsor a child's education, protection, or care, typically at approximately €21 per month as referenced in fundraising materials.
3. Gifts of HOPE (Product Sales): The HOPE Shop (hopeshop.ie) sells symbolic gifts (e.g., cow, chickens), 'Buy a Brick' hospital construction packages (€100/€250/€500 bronze/silver/gold), event tickets, books, and merchandise.
4. Event Fundraising: Revenue from ticketed events including Cork Lunch (€100 single, €1,000 table of 10), Dublin Lunch, Fashion Show, Golf Classic, and Calcutta Run participation fees.
5. Corporate Partnerships & CSR: Corporate sponsorship programme where companies sponsor projects, staff fundraising challenges, or provide in-kind support (e.g., Specsavers Ireland's blindness eradication programme).
6. Tax-Efficient Giving: The charity benefits from the Enduring Cert (formerly CHY3) scheme, enabling reclaim of tax on charitable donations of €250+, increasing effective value of larger donations without cost to the donor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Hope Foundation is an Irish-registered charity that delivers child protection, education, healthcare, and vocational training services to street and slum children in Kolkata, India. Operating 58 projects across Kolkata through programs including a hospital, schools, and outreach centers, the charity sustains its work primarily through individual donations and child sponsorships raised in Ireland.

Product overview

The Hope Foundation operates as a charitable organization offering a portfolio of humanitarian programs and services focused on street and slum-connected children in Kolkata, India. The core service offerings include five key program areas: Child Protection, Education, Healthcare, Vocational Training & Life Skills, and Emergency Response. The organization funds and operates 58 projects across these areas. Supporting infrastructure includes HOPE Hospital (established 2008) providing secondary healthcare, a Donor Dashboard for managing donations, and the HOPE Shop e-commerce platform for purchasing event tickets, Gifts of HOPE, and merchandise. Fundraising programs include child sponsorship, community fundraising events, corporate sponsorship, schools programs, and experiential opportunities like Kolkata trips.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Sponsorship Program A recurring sponsorship program that lets individual donors in Ireland fund the education, healthcare, and welfare of a named child beneficiary in Kolkata.
• HOPE Hospital A charity-run hospital providing clinical and preventive healthcare services to street and slum children and the surrounding community in Kolkata.
• Education Programs Formal schooling and non-formal education services delivered to street and slum children in Kolkata through the charity's project network.
• Vocational Training Vocational and skills training programs designed to equip older street and slum children with employable skills for self-sufficiency.
• Child Protection Services Safeguarding, outreach, and protection services for street and slum children in Kolkata, delivered through the charity's 58 projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 55,000 children helped through education projects over 20+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The TEFL Institute of IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Partnership announced November 2025 enabling TEFL Institute students to engage with HOPE's education work. Joint fundraising efforts support HOPE's programmes in Kolkata, and awareness campaigns highlight education's role in breaking the cycle of poverty. Maureen Forrest described it as reflecting shared belief in education's transformative power.
• Specsavers IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecsavers Ireland has partnered with HOPE since 2017 (originally a 3-year commitment now extending to 6+ years) to run a Blindness Eradication Programme across street and slum communities and schools in Kolkata. Includes community-based eye camps, special eye clinics at HOPE Hospital, surgeries, and an optometry training programme. Nearly 50,000 people seen, 1,710 eye surgeries conducted, nearly 22,000 glasses provided.
• Bon Secours Health SystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBon Secours Health System's Community Initiative Programme donated a Bipolar Diathermy Instrument to HOPE Hospital in Kolkata. The instrument was delivered and installed successfully. Bon Secours invests annually in worthwhile projects that add value to vulnerable people's lives.
• Rose of Tralee International FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnership with the Rose of Tralee International Festival. Each year, the reigning Rose visits Kolkata to support HOPE projects. Recent Roses who have visited include Kirsten Mate Maher (2018) and Rachel Duffy (2022). The partnership raises awareness and funds for HOPE's work.
• Pranic Healing for HOPEcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDedicated supporter group that has been fundraising for HOPE since 2018, raising €285,430 to date. Supports HOPE's PBK Girls Protection Home (€30,000 annually) and Night Round Mobile Medical Unit. They have also funded cardiac monitors during COVID and fund Child Education Sponsorships. The group travels to Kolkata to visit projects and raises awareness within the Pranic Healing community.
• Maser (Irish Artist)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish artist Maser collaborated with HOPE on a limited edition print series 'Hopeful' (100 prints at €100 each). All profits fund HOPE's first street art project in Kolkata communities. Maser and a group of artists travelled to Kolkata to create site-specific artworks.
• Calcutta RuncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual legal community fundraising event (in association with The Law Society of Ireland) in which HOPE has been a charity partner. The run has raised €4 million over 21 years, with HOPE receiving €150,000 in 2018 from the €300,000 total raised. Events take place in Dublin, New York, and Cork.
• Street Child UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOPE partnered with Street Child United, Save the Children India, and UK sponsors to take a team of street-connected children from Kolkata to compete in the inaugural Street Child Cricket World Cup in London (April-May 2019). The partnership provided an international platform to raise awareness of street children's rights.
• Manchester United Fan Club of KolkataminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOrganised a visit by Manchester United legends Wes Brown and Mikael Silvestre to meet HOPE's residential childcare children and participate in a Friendship Soccer Match in Kolkata, hosted by The Heritage School.
• Specsavers Ireland (Optometry Training Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Specsavers Ireland partnership includes sponsoring 24 students from West Bengal for a 2-year Optometry Course, with 8 more students due to start in November. This builds local eye care capacity in Kolkata.
• Réalta TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsor of HOPE's Charity Golf Classic held at Lee Valley Golf and Country Club. Additional sponsors include Dawson Travel (€1,000 voucher for hole-in-one prize).
• Wild Frontiers Adventure TravelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK-based travel company that supported the Street Child Cricket World Cup partnership, helping facilitate HOPE children's participation.
• Indorama (Kolkata Crop Nutrition Brand)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndorama, a Kolkata-based crop nutrition company, provided support for the Likeskills Tailoring Unit project, helping train young women and men in vocational skills.
• AYU CosmeticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of The Hope Foundation Fashion Show (March 2024), contributing to the 25th anniversary celebrations event alongside other sponsors JJ Mahon and Musgraves.
• Cannonball IrelandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCannonball Ireland, Europe's largest organised supercar road trip event, selected HOPE as its charity partner for 2022. The event has raised €1.3 million for Irish charities to date, with a target of €250,000 for HOPE in 2022.
• Irish Schools and Transition Year ProgrammescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHOPE has deep partnerships with Irish secondary schools and third-level institutions through its Development Education and Schools Programme. Up to 400 Irish Transition Year students travel annually for immersion programmes in Kolkata. Partner schools include Our Lady's Secondary School Templemore, Gaelcholaiste Choilm, and Dominican College Galway.
• Glandore Flexible WorkspaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlandore co-hosted the 'Working With What You Have' fundraising event for HOPE, bringing together personal and business coaching and style workshops for supporters.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Save the Children India: Already a named collaborator on the Street Child Cricket World Cup initiative; operates directly in India addressing child protection, education, and healthcare for vulnerable children — the closest programmatic and geographic peer.
• Children in Crossfire: Irish-registered charity focused on early childhood development and education in the Global South; directly comparable as a smaller Irish-headquartered NGO with school-based fundraising in Ireland and overseas programme delivery.
• ChildFund Ireland: Irish-registered international child-focused charity using child sponsorship as a core fundraising mechanism; mirrors HOPE's €21/month sponsorship model and Ireland-donor-base / developing-country-delivery structure.
• Sightsavers: International NGO focused on avoidable blindness and visual impairment in low-income countries; directly comparable to HOPE's Specsavers-funded Blindness Eradication Programme in Kolkata (1,710 surgeries, ~22,000 glasses dispensed).
• Street Child United: Named direct partner of The Hope Foundation; focuses on advocacy and visibility for street-connected children globally, with overlapping beneficiary population in Kolkata.

Broad incumbents

• Trócaire: Irish Catholic international development agency with long history of community-led fundraising in Ireland and programme delivery in developing countries; shares the Irish-donor-base / overseas-delivery model and Lent/seasonal fundraising mechanics.
• Concern Worldwide: Irish-registered international humanitarian charity operating across multiple developing countries; comparable as a fellow Irish-headquartered NGO raising funds domestically while delivering programmes overseas, though at much larger scale and geographic breadth.
• UNICEF Ireland: Irish arm of a globally dominant child-rights and child-welfare organisation; addresses overlapping child protection, education, and health mandates at much larger scale, competing for the same Irish donor mindshare.
• Irish Red Cross: Irish humanitarian organisation with community-led fundraising, emergency response programmes, and international health/welfare delivery; comparable in revenue model and Irish donor ecosystem, though operating at broader scale and remit.
• GOAL (Irish Charity): Ireland-based international development and humanitarian response charity with similar Dublin-headquartered fundraising model and overseas programme delivery; comparable donor base and Irish brand dynamics, though serving a broader geographic and thematic remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hopefoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/HopeFoundationIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-hope-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Hope Foundation