As an organisation, The Hope Foundation is open and transparent. HOPE implements international best practice in governance. 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 (see below) ensures that we are supported in keeping up-to-date on procedures, legislation and developments that impact on our work.
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.
Through Dóchas, Irish Development NGOs and others come together to share their experiences, and to use those experiences to advance more effective ways to end all forms of poverty and injustice.
HOPE subscribes to the Dóchas Code of Conduct on Images and Messages.
Find out more about Dóchas here.
The Wheel are an authoritative and trusted voice for the charity sector, and are enthusiastically committed to transparency, accountability, and the highest standards of practice and governance.
Find out more about The Wheel here.
The Charities Governance Code is a Code of Practice for good governance of community, voluntary and charitable organisations in Ireland.
The Cii was 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.
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 30 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
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 CEO for International Operations for HOPE and was appointed as Secretary to the Board of Directors of HOPE in May 2018.
Anthony Childs
Board Member
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.
Dr. Mary O’Shaughnessy
Board Member
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.
Shane McCarthy
Board Member
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.
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.
Michael Murphy
Board Member
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.
Sachidananda Das
Board Member
Dr. Michael Molloy
Board Member
Dr. Molloy is a Consultant Rheumatologist at Cork University Hospital.
