The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.
Leagan Gaeilge le fáil anseo
The Irish Traditional Music Archive is delighted to announce that celebrated low whistle player Cormac Juan Breatnach will initiate ITMA’s new Legacy Giving Programme by making the very first bequest to the organisation through his will.
The support of domestic and international philanthropy is essential for ITMA to realise its significant archival ambitions – to make the greatest collection of Irish music song and dance available online at no cost to any user.
Legacy giving can have a significant impact on long-term funding for not-for-profit charitable organisations like ITMA and along with Cormac’s endowment, he has also agreed to donate his entire royalties as a professional musician to the Archive.
Speaking about his decision to support ITMA through his will, Cormac said: “For over 40 years I have been fortunate to have performed, recorded and toured with some exceptional artists from all over the world. These opportunities came about because I was fortunate to have immediate access to the rich Irish musical tradition from youth.
“I believe ITMA’s goal to provide that online pathway through its extraordinary collections, by transforming them from physical to digital and making them tangible to interested parties globally with no cost, is a mission worth supporting as a professional artist. I will do that by making an endowment to ITMA in the form of a bequest in my will. I will also expedite that bequest while I am fit and healthy to facilitate the use of those funds in the short term.”
Commenting on Cormac’s decision, ITMA Chief Executive Liam O’Connor added: “We are deeply grateful to Cormac for his exceptional generosity in supporting ITMA’s work and taking this pioneering step to help establish ITMA’s Legacy Giving Programme. An important feature of Cormac’s bequest is that he can choose to release it earlier so that the Archive can make use of it in part or in full, or to invest it for the future. By also donating his royalties to ITMA, his rich legacy as a professional musician will now help support the living tradition.
“Donor stewardship is an important feature of ITMA’s philanthropic programme and we work with all our givers to support specific archival projects aligning with their own artistic passions and interests. We hope that Cormac’s generous decision will resonate with other potential donors and encourage anybody interested in supporting ITMA through their will, to contact us to discuss how that can be done.”
Donating to ITMA in your will involves taking specific legal steps to ensure your assets are directed to the specific cause, after providing for family and friends. ITMA will support you in that legal process. Key steps include identifying the charity’s official registered details, choosing the type of gift, and working with a solicitor to update your will. It is recommended that all donors take independent legal advice.
Further details about how to support ITMA in your will can be found on itma.ie. If you are interested in discussing your donation, please contact Seán Potts, Director of Donor Engagement, [email protected] or +353 1 661 9699
