How we are funded

IPRT relies on donations from charitable trusts, individual donations and membership subscriptions to cover operational costs. IPRT was previously fortunate to have the financial and other support of two main philanthropic funders, The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, up to the end of 2016.

We were not in receipt of any public funds until mid-2016, when we were granted funding from Pobal & The Department of Community and Rural Development under the Scheme to Support National Organisations in the Community and Voluntary Sector, and from the Department of Justice and Equality in early 2017. We have also received funding from donor-advised funds managed by the Community Foundation for Ireland, and have been awarded funding for several projects through the Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme which is run by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. These diverse new sources of funding helped ensure IPRT’s sustainability.

In recent years, we also secured project grant funding from other sources including: the Irish Research Council (joint project with the Dublin Institute of Technology); the St Stephen's Green Trust; the Ireland Funds; the Community Foundation for Ireland, and a number of European projects. In March 2018 and February 2019 we received a donation from the St. Patrick’s Cathedral Community Giving & Charitable Funds 2018. We were pleased to receive 'Demand for Digital' funding from RTÉ Does Comic Relief (through the Community Foundation for Ireland) in December 2020. We were grateful to receive funding through the Community Foundation for Ireland All-Island Fund in August 2021, to undertake cross-border justice projects with our colleagues in NIACRO. In 2022, we received a grant from the MACRO Shared Fund.

In 2020, we received in-kind support from Arthur Cox Solicitors and the Public Interest Law Alliance. 

Reporting and Accounts

IPRT believes in total transparency and accountability around how we use funding and donations to achieve our vision of progressive penal reform, with imprisonment as a last resort.

Audited accounts are prepared annually, and approved at the AGM each year. Financial statements for previous years are included in the Annual Reports, and below.

In 2015, we switched to FRS 102 SORP compliant accounts. The FRS 102 requirements relating to the trustees’ annual report, fund accounting, the format of the statement of financial activities and additional disclosures are aimed at providing a high level of accountability and transparency to donors, funders, financial supporters and other stakeholders.

Financial Management

IPRT is committed to ensuring that the organisation’s finances are managed to the highest standard, and in line with established accounting practices.

• Our registered auditors are Crowleys DFK. Crowleys DFK are authorised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
• We have in place a full written finance policy with protocols (available on request) in relation to the respective roles of Finance Committee, Executive Director, and Treasurer; the handling and management of petty cash, donations and membership, and grants; and retention of financial documentation.
• In line with the IPRT expenses policy, all expenditure must be vouched for and approved by the Executive Director, or in the case of the Executive Director's expenses should be approved by the Chairperson.
• An independent audit is conducted each year by the auditors who bring to the attention of the board through the finance committee any matters of concern. The auditors are also invited each year to the AGM of the IPRT. Accounting records are retained for a period of 7 years.

If you have any questions on how our organisation is run, you can email info@iprt.ie and we will respond within three working days.

*The Scheme to Support National Organisations is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Rural and Community Development.