As an organisation, The Hope Foundation is open and transparent. HOPE implements international best practice in governance. You can download our most recent financial statements below.
We recognise our responsibility to you, our donors, sponsors, volunteers and fundraisers.
HOPE is committed to safeguarding children. We implement best practice guidelines and provide child protection training and capacity building for all staff who work directly with children and vulnerable adults.
Our membership of representative organisations ensures that we are supported in keeping up-to-date on procedures, legislation and developments that impact on our work. Some examples of best practice in Governance include:
- Our founder and Honorary Director Maureen Forrest does not take a salary
- Modest staff salaries: the average earned is €34,612
Numerous pro-bono professional service-providers and special rates help to keep administration costs down. - HOPE is a signatory of the Comhlámh ‘Code of Good Practice for Volunteer Sending Organisations’.Comhlámh’s Code of Good Practice is a set of standards for Irish Volunteer Sending Agencies facilitating international placements. The Code is based on a vision of volunteers working in solidarity for a just, equitable and sustainable world. It promotes responsible and responsive volunteering to ensure a positive impact for the overseas project and community, the volunteer and the sending agency. The Code promotes development education, which enables people to more deeply understand the world around them and to address the root causes of inequality and poverty.Every Volunteer Sending Agency, which is party to the Code of Good Practice, commits to the implementation of the Code’s five values that underpin the work of international volunteer programmes. These are solidarity, respect, social justice, ecological sustainability and integrity. Full details of the Code are here.Comhlámh is a member organisation that works to mobilise for an equitable and sustainable world. As the Irish association of development workers and volunteers, Comhlámh promotes responsible international volunteering and development work. We support people in their journey of working for social justice. We work with returned volunteers, partner organisations and member group to foster just, inclusive societies, through progressive grassroots activism in Ireland and internationally.More details of Comhlámh work can be found here.
- HOPE is a member of Dóchas, the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations, and subscribes to its ‘Code of Conduct on Images and Messages’
- HOPE is a member of The Wheel, a leading support and representative network for the community and voluntary sector in Ireland
- HOPE is fully compliant with the Charity Regulator’s Charities Governance Code, a Code of Practice for good governance of community, voluntary and charitable organisations in Ireland.
- HOPE is a member of the Charities Institute Ireland, the body formed from the merger of ICTR and Fundraising Ireland in 2016 and adheres and implements the ICTR ‘Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising’. We have been awarded ‘Triple Lock’ membership by the Cii, demonstrating our commitment to best practice in all aspects of transparent reporting, ethical fundraising and governance.
Thanks to all our supporters for their commitment and dedication to the work of The Hope Foundation. Together we are changing the lives of abandoned children and working for the most underprivileged in our global community.
HOPE Board Members
Dr. Dermot O’ Mahoney, Chairman
- Chairman, Port of Cork 2002-2012
- Member of the Governing Body of University College Cork, Deputy Chair, Chairman of the Finance Committee
- Investment Committee – National University of Ireland
- Honorary Doctorate in Laws from the National University of Ireland
- Investment and Risk Committee – Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind
- Chairman – Finance Committee – Life Assurance Association of Ireland L.I.A
- Chairman S.S. Peter and Paul’s Group – Scouting Ireland
Maureen Forrest, Honorary Director
Maureen has over 25 years’ experience in development work. Maureen obtained a Diploma in Development Studies from University College Cork and before founding The Hope Foundation, she gained development experience in war-torn, impoverished communities in Rwanda, Swaziland and Somalia. Since setting up The Hope Foundation in 1999, Maureen has overseen the charity’s operation and development.
Maura Lennon, Secretary to the Board
Maura joined HOPE staff in Ireland in November 2017 bringing more than 32 years of overseas humanitarian experience with her. Qualified as a paediatric and general nurse and holding a degree in social science , Maura’s life long work in relief and development started in Ethiopia in January 1985 and since then she has worked in over 15 countries across Africa, Asia and Central America in a variety of front line and senior management roles and across a range of programme sectors. She is currently the International Fundraising Director for HOPE and was appointed as Secretary to the Board of Directors of HOPE in May 2018.
Jenny Browne, Overseas Director
Jenny worked as a teacher in Sion Hill Secondary School in Blackrock, Dublin. She has over 12 years of aid/development experience overseeing HOPE’s work and projects in Kolkata, India.
Anthony Childs
Anthony went to school in St. Andrews College in Booterstown County Dublin (1978-1984) and then completed a BSc in Advanced Management in College of Commerce, Rathmines 1984-1988 (2.1 Hons awarded by Trinity College, Dublin). He joined the Futures and Options Desk in Goodbody Stockbrokers in January 1989 before moving to Davy in July 1994 where he worked in the Capital Markets Division until early 2021.
Madeleine Cummins, Board Member
Madeleine worked in HOPE office in Cork for the past 17 years until her retirement in 2018.
Dr. Mary O’Shaughnessy
Dr. Mary O’Shaughnessy is a lecturer with the Department of Food Business and Development at University College Cork, Cluster Head of Development in Food Business & Development and researcher in the Centre for Co-operative Studies, UCC. She holds an MSc in Rural Development and was awarded a PhD on Survival Strategies and Rural Based Social Enterprises.
Michael Murphy
Michael is a Farmer and is Director of seven companies. He holds a Masters in Business Administration and is founder of the Positive Farmers Conference.
Dr. Michael Molloy
Dr Molloy is a Consultant Rheumatologist at Cork University Hospital.
Shane McCarthy
Shane is from Cork and has been living in the US since 2014. As both a business and science graduate of UCC, he has worked in IT and business in Ireland and in the US. He currently is Chief Marketing Officer for a high profile organisation in Washington DC. Shane is also a member of the Board of HOPE USA.
Tommy Gibbons
Tommy Gibbons worked for almost 45 years in Retail Banking, Credit Units and Business Banking in Cork, Limerick and Galway holding roles as Branch Manager, Senior Lending Manager and more recently as a Risk Assurance Manager. He retired from AIB Bank in November 2021.
