Does the National Lottery allocate Good Causes funds?
While National Lottery players raise the funds for Good Causes, the National Lottery has no role, either directly or indirectly, in allocating Good Causes funding. Instead, applications for funding must be made to different government departments or agencies, depending on each organisations area of activities.
At present Good Causes funds are transferred from the National Lottery Fund by the Regulator of the National Lottery to the Central Exchequer. The money is used to part-fund expenditure by Government Departments across the seven categories outlined below:
- Arts & Culture
- Sports
- Heritage
- Youth
- Health & Wellbeing
- Community
- Irish Language
How is Good Causes funding allocated?
Funds raised by the National Lottery are transferred to the Exchequer and are used to part-finance expenditure by various Government Departments on projects in these categories. Each Government department or body accept applications for funding on an annual basis and disperse grants accordingly. Here is how to apply for the various streams of funding:
- Sport (including Sports Capital Programme and Sport Ireland) — Funding is issued through the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media. More information and applications can be made at https://www.sportscapitalprogramme.ie or at Sport Ireland.
- Arts — Funding is provided through the Arts Council of Ireland. Applications can be made at The Arts Council.
- Heritage — Funding is administered through the Heritage Council of Ireland. Applications can be made at The Heritage Council.
- Youth — Funding is provided through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and details of the scheme can be found at Youth Affairs.
- Health — Funding is provided through the HSE National Lottery Grant, details of which can be found at HSE.
- Community — Funding is administered through the Department of Rural & Community Development and includes the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO), details of which can be found at Funding for Voluntary Organisations, and the Seniors Alert Scheme.
- Irish Language — Funding for the promotion of the Irish language can be applied for at Language Support Schemes.