SWISS GROUP, Sarasin Partners, aims to cash in on new regulations for Irish charities by offering investment services to the sector.
New rules, passed in the Charities Act last year, mean that charities must begin filing financial accounts and provide annual reports to a new regulator from 2010.
Sarasin, which manages charity assets in excess of €3.36 billion for a wide range of religious, educational and grant-making endowments in Britain, is launching its service to Irish charities this week.
The firm will focus on recurring income, strategic asset allocation, and, where appropriate, ethical investment advice.
Fergus Crawford, chief executive of Sarasin Partners, Ireland, said that the launch of the service would give more support to Irish charities, which are facing both increased scrutiny and financial pressure.
Bank Sarasin, a private Swiss Bank, owns most of Sarasin Partners. In turn, Rabobank holds a majority stake in Bank Sarasin.
Rabo is one of the only non-government owned banks to hold an AAA credit rating, which ranks it as one of the safest financial institutions in the world.
