Nothing stirs the heart of a nation more than the winning of an Olympic medal, and that’s the ideal behind a potential game-changer in funding and athlete support for the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI).
The Team Ireland Foundation has been set up for the purpose of drawing in additional funding by means of philanthropy. Starting with preparations for Los Angeles 2028, it’s calling on public individuals, private organisations and the wider global diaspora to play their part in elevating future performances on the Olympic stage.
It’s designed to complement existing high-performance funding for Sport Ireland, while aimed at enhancing other athlete welfare and coaching support programmes via the OFI. It’s also taking advantage of the streamlines in tax relief for sports donations announced in Budget 2025.
In addition to building on the success of Paris 2024 – where Irish athletes won a record seven medals, four gold and three bronze – the Team Ireland Foundation will afford the OFI more opportunity to directly impact on athlete performance.
READ MORE
“It’s the first time we’ve really looked at the philanthropy option, and it does have the potential to be an absolute game-changer,” says OFI president Lochlann Walsh.
“In fairness to the Government, they’ve committed to doubling high-performance funding over the term of the National Sports Policy, they’re absolutely doing that. We’ve also lobbied them to change the tax laws, so when you donate to high-performance sport now, who can claim that tax back, or donate that tax... in the same way, when you donate to charity, you get full relief at 42 per cent.
“That’s allowed us to really go after this. We’re only just starting out, but we also hope to be very active in the United States over the next two years.”
[ Funding for Irish athletes and facilities before next Olympic Games to top €500mOpens in new window ]
Other National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have been tapping into some philanthropic support for years, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is entirely financed by its national fan base, receiving zero Government funding for any of its on- or off-field activities.
Such are the soaring costs involved in the LA28 Games, the OFI is also looking at a “sizeable gap” of about €2.5 million in funding compared to the four-year Paris cycle.
Walsh also believes the OFI can help change the culture of philanthropy in Irish sport: “I also work for an American company [Equinix], with a lot of American clients, and if I talk to my American colleagues, earning decent money but certainly not mega-wealthy, they’ll still name six or seven different things they donate to. Because this kind of philanthropy is in their culture.
“It’s not really in the Irish culture yet, and most people also don’t know this new sport tax break is there. It’s probably more of a slower-burn here, definitely not all short-term stuff, because if we do this correctly, built it sustainably, this will deliver significant millions into the system beyond LA and towards Brisbane 2032.”
The changes in tax, announced in October 2024, mean relief can be claimed on all OFI donations made up to September 1st 2028, after the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport approved two OFI projects (Team Ireland’s Youth Performance and Team Ireland’s Senior Elite) aimed at supporting Olympic hopefuls and those already achieving excellence.
There are initially three tiers of philanthropic support: Club LA28 (donations between €250 and €500 eligible for tax relief), Champions’ Circle (larger donations that include public recognition) and Legacy (substantial donations recognised with a unique relationship to Ireland’s Olympic team).
The funding will also be directed into three areas of support – Games Delivery (supporting athletes in the immediate build-up to and during LA28), Athlete Excellence (high-impact interventions made in the 24-48 months before LA28), and Community Legacy (ensuring LA28 has a lasting impact in communities around Ireland).
[ ‘For me it’s not swimming’: Daniel Wiffen lashes out against Enhanced GamesOpens in new window ]
“The hope is the money we bring in will drive more Olympic success,” says Walsh. “And with that drive a bigger audience, get more kids involved in sport, and drive better athletes into the next number of Olympic cycles, so that we can ultimately become a 16-, 17-medal-winning nation.”
The support will be open to athletes and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) on an annual basis. Applications for support will be reviewed and approved by the Foundation Board, and donors will also receive impact reports to illustrate the effectiveness of their support.
For more, see teamirelandfoundation.ie
