March is the month Irish groups go looking for funding

America:Washington's Kennedy Centre was crowded on Wednesday evening for "An Irish Valentine", an evening of words and music featuring Irish-American novelist Alice McDermott and New York-based traditional band Cherish the Ladies.

With appearances by Frank McCourt, Virginia senator Jim Webb and New York congressman Joe Crowley and a sing-song featuring, among others, Irish Ambassador Noel Fahey, it was a roaring success.

It also raised $160,000 (€122,000) for the Washington Ireland Programme (which offers university students from both parts of Ireland internships in Washington) and Project Children, which brings Protestant and Catholic children to the US to live with host families.

Next week, the American Ireland Fund will raise even more money for projects in Ireland at its annual Washington dinner, which this year honours House speaker Nancy Pelosi. The fund raised more than $4 million at a single dinner in New York last year and similar events are taking place across the US.

If you are an Irish fundraiser, this is the month to be in America, when 40 million Irish-Americans become acutely conscious of their roots and a generous minority start opening their wallets.

The giving starts in February, when a host of Irish charities and fundraisers converge on Palm Beach to pitch their worthy projects to sun-kissed millionaires.

Last week, the Government announced that it would match up to €20 million for Mitchell Scholarships, which bring US students to Ireland. Most of the money the Government will be matching will come from private US donors.

Despite Ireland's economic success, donations from Irish-Americans increase each year and Washington Ireland Programme's Kevin Sullivan says there is still no sign of donor fatigue.

"A lot of these people are second- or third-generation immigrants," he said. "They've been deeply involved in supporting the peace process for many years and they know that there is still a lot to be done. So they're prepared to stay the course."

Amy Stewart from Belfast and Eoin McHugh from Navan, who co-hosted Wednesday's performance with great poise, are fine advertisements for the Washington Ireland Programme, which has brought more than 320 Irish students to the US capital since 1995. During an eight-week internship, the students live with host families and work as a team as well as getting valuable experience in US government and politics.

The aim is to prepare "the next generation of leaders for Northern Ireland and Ireland" by offering young Catholics and Protestants a chance to work and learn together.

Sullivan believes that most donors are fully aware of the impact of Ireland's economic boom, but they feel a sense of pride in the US role in promoting peace in the North and they want to stay engaged.

"This is a singular American foreign policy success," he said.

Massachusetts congressman Richard Neal, who chairs the Friends of Ireland in the House of Representatives, believes that American generosity towards Ireland partly reflects the improving fortunes of Irish-Americans.

"There is a reality and that is that after two or three generations now, Irish-Americans have done very well," he said. "I believe in terms of education and economic achievement, they're the second-highest income group in America. Much of it has to do, I think, with hard work and education, but there is always that great feeling of warmth that relates to the island that gave them their start."

Like Sullivan, Neal believes that most Irish-Americans are well-informed about the changes that have taken place in Ireland.

He rejects the view that they have a romanticised view of the old country.

"I think the more legitimate point is that they remember why grandparents and parents and great-grandparents were forced off the island. They see it more through that lens. I've noticed during my time a closer identity between Ireland and Europe," he said. "I think Europeans see themselves as Europeans but I also think there's an enormous emotional bond that exists between Ireland and America."