About Us
The One Foundation is a private philanthropic trust that was founded in 2004 by Dr Dec Ryan. Dec firmly believes in the power of ‘active philanthropy’ to generate long-term solutions to address entrenched and emerging social issues. We invest funds, skills, expertise, and other resources in not-for-profit organisations that share our vision, ethos, and values. One works to achieve equality for refugees, migrants, ethnic minority, and underserved communities. We do this by working in partnership with dynamic not-for-profit organisations and other foundations that share our values and commitment to building a vibrant, welcoming society grounded in justice and equality.
Our Core Values
We do not have all the answers as to what that looks like in practice, but we do have a set of core values that guide us in how we engage and identify our grantees and philanthropic partners to deliver innovative, effective and evidence-based strategies achieve our vision and mission.
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Humble
We are a conscientious and honourable funder. We fly below the radar, choosing instead to let our work and impact speak for itself.
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Engaged
We work collaboratively with our grantees and other funders to create and deliver innovative and effective solutions that drive impact and achieve systemic change.
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Dynamic
We are a responsive, progressive, courageous, and resilient funder. We are not afraid to fund unpopular causes and understand that the path to change is often slow and does not run smoothly.
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Open
We are an inclusive, collaborative, supportive and respectful funder and work with organisations to achieve their vision for change. Our support goes beyond the financial and we work hand in hand with our grantees to achieve our goals.
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Responsible
We recognise the importance of sustainable and ethical work. We seek to create the greatest value given everything we know about our culture, passion, expertise, and resources.
Our History
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2004 - 2014
In 2004 the One Foundation opened its doors for the first time. We were initially established as a 10 year limited life foundation. Over a decade we invested over €85 million, targeting solutions in relation to our goals in the fields of Disadvantaged Children and Families, Youth Mental Health, Integration, and Social Entrepreneurship throughout Ireland and Vietnam. During this time, One catalysed significant change to the social landscape in both Ireland and Vietnam.
In addition, the transformative nature of our model of “active philanthropy” galvanised a cohort of Irish non-profit organisations to become stronger and more rigorous in their work. Many of these organisations and individuals are recognised on the international stage as leaders in their fields today.
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2015 - 2021
2015 witnessed the outbreak of the devastating war in Syria resulting in the largest refugee crisis since World War II. Dec could not sit idly by as the Refugee crisis unfolded across Europe and in Lebanon and Jordan. He decided to invest in, and support durable solutions for families and children displaced by the war in Syria.
During this time, Dec also founded Books At One. This is Ireland’s first and only network of locally managed community bookshops. Operating as a Social Enterprise, Books At One invests profits in fostering a love of reading for learning, pleasure, and connection. The original Books At One bookshop was opened in Louisburgh in 2016, followed by Books at One Letterfrack and our third shop opened in Meath Street in Dublin 2022.
In 2018 Dec founded Colombia’s first and only airline foundation in Colombia, the Viva Air Foundation. The Foundation works to break the cycle of poverty and to advance the societal, economic and environmental development of Colombia.
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2022 to date
In 2022, Dec decided to formally open the doors of the One Foundation once again. This time with a sole focus on improving the lives of refugees, migrants, ethnic minority, and underserved communities. Our first year of operation coincided with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One focused on responding effectively and rapidly to the impact of the ongoing war by supporting civil society organisations, Ukrainian and Irish communities, to deliver effective and impactful responses to the arrival of displaced Ukrainian people to Ireland.