Posted on July 11, 2012

Atlantic Philanthropies Announces Final Grantmaking Priorities

As it looks to end its grantmaking by 2016 and close its doors by 2020, New York City-based Atlantic Philanthropies has announced its final grantmaking priorities.

The limited-life foundation, which was founded by Duty Free Shoppers co-founder Charles F. Feeney and is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary, will decide the timing of the end of its grantmaking in five program areas — aging, children and youth, population health, reconciliation and human rights, and the founding chair's initiatives — and seven regions based on several factors. They include where the best opportunities are for maximizing impact given its remaining resources and time, whether significant change has been achieved and the prospects for sustainability are good, and the ability to conclude its work effectively. Not all program work will continue into 2016.

In the United States, the foundation's priorities going forward include enhancing economic support and healthcare delivery for the low-income elderly, reforming school discipline policies, improving children's access to health care, protecting immigrant rights, and advancing judicial and prison reform. In Bermuda, the foundation will fund efforts to establish a community foundation to provide support for local nonprofit organizations, as well as initiatives designed to strengthen NGOs working to protect and promote civil and human rights in the country.

In Northern Ireland, the foundation's priorities include improving the care and well-being of people with dementia, transforming children's services through prevention and early intervention, and increasing shared education, in which schools from different community backgrounds share classes, facilities, resources, and teachers. In the Republic of Ireland, the foundation will focus on supporting advocacy for older people's needs and rights, improving access to justice and services for migrants, and improving supports and services for people with disabilities.

In South Africa, the foundation will focus its grantmaking on improving the training and retention of human resources in primary care, protecting and promoting civil and human rights, and supporting targeted litigation campaigns. And in Vietnam, the foundation will focus on building the capacity of primary healthcare systems and expanding access to care for marginalized populations. The foundation made its final grants in Australia in 2011.

"We will strive to share our own experience as grantmakers with those who wish to learn from our successes and failures," said foundation president Christopher G. Oechsli in a statement. "Atlantic is committed to our founder's instruction to put all of our remaining funds to the 'highest and best use.'"