History and Purpose

The mission of the ILCU Foundation is to alleviate poverty in developing countries by supporting credit unions, their representative bodies and other co-operative type organisations as a means for socio-economic development through the provision of financial and technical assistance.

Irish credit unions have been contributing to the work of the ILCU Foundation since 1980, when at the ILCU Annual General Meeting (AGM) it was decided that credit unions should be invited to contribute towards a fund to be administered by the ILCU "to provide aid, financial or otherwise, to developing countries with particular emphasis on credit union and other co-operative projects". In 1983 the ILCU AGM agreed that contributions to the fund should be at the discretion of each credit union and they were again encouraged to support the fund.


The building of a credit union in a fishing village in The Gambia.

In order to become eligible for funding from the European Union (EU), the ILCU International Development Foundation Limited was formally incorporated as a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital on 20 April 1989.

The process of establishing the ILCU Foundation as a recognised NGO was then pursued. This status was recognised with the receipt of funding from the Irish Government and the acceptance by the EU of our application for co-funding. The Foundation also has charitable status, the registered charity number is CHY 9704.

The main source of funding is from contributions made by credit unions in Ireland and by co-funding arrangements with donor agencies.


Please click here for criteria and application form for our Small Projects Scheme