ICLF Annual End of Year Summary Report

Summary 2023 – “Le Cheile Aris – Together Again”

Executive Summary: Operating income recovering to pre COVID with event attendance and private rentals, celebrated our 40th Parade & Faire, 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, 10th anniversary of the library, continued partnership with the library LLC, wedding coordinator hired and accountant firm secured, site preparation on the St. Brigid monument for the Irish National Holiday, launched our Land Acknowledgement Statement, added sports to the summer camp, increase in AIHF funding for library. Future plans are 25th anniversary (in process), IT/Security infrastructure (in process), the Community Space (in process), ESP (continue). “Our family have great memories of our time in Ireland and celebrate the legacy of the McClelland Library” – Kent McClelland CEO of Shamrock Foods.

By the numbers:
• 3% increase in membership (542->557 active members)
• 6% increase on Social Media profile (Facebook 7000->7225, Twitter 653->673, Instagram 1400->1699,
Linked In 247->279)
• $51,791 in grants (eRate and COVID EOL in 2023)
• $18,973 in ICLF Board Dues
• $605,455 in restricted donations
• $67,004 in unrestricted donations
• 154 events and 371 hours of programming
• 50 volunteers with 4650.5 volunteer hours
• 128 tours
• 15 rentals
• 6 ESP cases with 4 tragic events
• 35 Affiliates and Partners
• 501 library cards and 102 Genealogy requests
• AZ Irish Woman Award and City Proclamation to community member (no partner or external awards)
• Community drive – not completed in 2023

2024 Focus:
(1) Celebrate our 25th anniversary!
(2) Develop the 600 sq ft Community Space and St. Brigid’s Monument
(3) Continue to provide ESP support, including CIIC application, and International Artist events

Additional 2023 Accomplishments:
• We formally closed out on federal and local updates for COVID and International travel
• We had a number of facility improvements including the phones/VOIP, St. Brigid monument site prep, south wall height increase, rekeying of external doors, hance park improvements adjacent to us, roof and a/c repairs and leaks in the keep, basement and courtyard.
• We had 15 private events/rentals – 13 weddings, a prom, and a bat mitzvah.
• The library has 9,038 items in catalogue, 2000 items outside of catalogue, and 3 archive collections searchable online. $3018.93 in books/items sold, 9969 gate count, 41 programs delivered, 2590 attendees.
• The Events Committee hosted a Sold Out VIP event for the Good Friday Agreement 25th anniversary in partnership AZSC-DFA-PFRC and hosted a community showing of the Oscar nominated An Cailin Ciuin. We formally acknowledged the work we did with the Navajo Nation and published our Land Acknowledgement Statement. We launched the $25 membership for our 25th anniversary and had record community attendance at the Diamond Backs game. We also hosted international artists 3Bucksleft, Karan Casey and Manchan Magan.
• We attended the Global Irish Civic Forum at Dublin Castle with programming aligned to the 5 pillars of the Diaspora Strategy 2020-2025. We attended AICF hosted by Milwaukie Irish Fest, City of Galway and DFA, our festival partners are LA and Texas, and event partners are LA-SF-SW states. We also attended NiCCoNA and sent a delegate to the Young Ambassador Program in Brussels.
• The ESP Committee established partnerships with healthcare, local religious organizations, and a mortuary. They launched the senior morning/initiative, and hosted San Diego for ESP audit learnings, the AZ NZ community BBQ and the FBR-RTI-IP seminars.
• We have 14 board members and an advisory board, a new accounting and legal partner, the wedding coordinator retired and her replacement started, the executive admin was on restricted duty and we covered sabbaticals for officer positions (treasurer, president) enabling our succession planning.
• We continue to make progress on our accounting and compliance items including QBO, ICLF employment, deed of gift, and POS SW (FOI). We secured pro-bono legal support and participated in mediation with the LLC.
• We closed the year with the Endowment Fund recovering and board allocated funds in the reserve account. COVID grants for employee retention are no longer available. Visitor Center and Academy Coordinator positions remain on hold due to funding.
• “We are happy to include the center in an upcoming PBS episode, it is an incredible location” – Michael Londra host of Ireland with Michael
• “I have such fond memories of my time with you all in Phoenix. And am so grateful to the wonderful welcome you all gave me.” – Manchan Mangan Aran agus Im Abbey Theater.

ICLF Land Statement – Glacann agus creideann an ICLF

The Arizona Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation acknowledges that the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library are located on the ancestral lands of the Akimel O’odham and further acknowledges that Arizona is home to 22 Tribal Nations. Despite a shared history of survival, the Irish people and Native Americans have a special kinship based on common values of tradition, culture, language, spirituality, music, arts, and sports. The ICLF will continue to foster solidarity with our Native American relatives as our Irish and Indigenous ancestors have done for centuries.

Go bhfuil an ionad Cultúrtha agus an Leabharlann mcClelland suite ar ihir sinsire an Akimel O’odham agus chomh maith leis sin, gur as an dtalamh sin a thagann Dhá náisiún is fiche de dhaoine bundúchasacha saor aigeannta agus gaolta le nádúr na hÁite. Aithnítear go bhfuil gaol ar leith idir mhuintir Na héireann agus na Daoine atá lonaithe in Arizona ó thús ama. Leanfaidh an ICLF le aitheanntas agus fuinneamh a thabhairt den ngaol atá caomhnaithe idir Mhuintir na hÉireann agus muintear na tíre seo. Daoine agus Diné araon mar a dhein leis na ciannta.