The Apollo Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £492,620 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly available
• Geographic Focus: Ireland and Northern Ireland

Contact Details

Address: c/o BDB Pitmans LLP, One Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BL

Phone: 020 7783 3707

Email: Not available

Website: Not available

Overview

The Apollo Foundation was established in 1984 with funding largely from the estate of Lady Beit to promote and further the advancement of education in the fine arts in Ireland (including Northern Ireland). The charity is registered in England and Wales and operates primarily through grant-making to arts organisations and educational initiatives in Ireland. With annual expenditure of approximately £773,813 (financial year ending December 2024) and income of £492,620 (2023), the Foundation maintains a focused approach to its grant-making, concentrating its resources on supporting two principal beneficiaries: the Alfred Beit Foundation (which maintains Russborough House) and the National Gallery of Ireland. To date, the Foundation has donated approximately €2.5 million to Russborough House for restoration, repairs, maintenance, infrastructural improvements, security systems, marketing, and curatorial staffing.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Apollo Foundation does not operate open grant programmes but instead provides sustained support to specific institutions and initiatives:

• Russborough House Support: Multi-year funding for restoration, maintenance, infrastructure, security, and operations
• Apollo Fellowship: Funds a fellowship position at the National Gallery of Ireland coordinating youth engagement programmes
• Apollo Project: Co-produced educational initiatives bringing together young people, the National Gallery of Ireland, and Russborough House

Priority Areas

• Education in the fine arts for young people
• Museum and heritage site operations and maintenance
• Youth engagement with cultural heritage and arts
• Art conservation and restoration
• Collection development and display (has purchased paintings and loaned them to Russborough House)

What They Don't Fund

As the Foundation operates through direct support to specific institutions rather than an open application process, information about explicit exclusions is not publicly available. The Foundation's focus is clearly on fine arts education in Ireland and Northern Ireland, suggesting grants outside this geographic area or thematic focus would not be considered.

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Governance and Leadership

The Apollo Foundation is governed by a board of six trustees with deep expertise in Irish arts, heritage, and country houses:

• Robert O'Byrne: Writer and lecturer specialising in fine and decorative arts, author of more than a dozen books on Irish heritage including works on Irish country houses and Georgian architecture. Former Vice-President of the Irish Georgian Society and former trustee of the Alfred Beit Foundation. Previously wrote a monthly column for Apollo magazine and worked as a journalist with the Irish Times.
• The Countess of Erne (Harriet Elizabeth Crichton): Appointed trustee in 2024
• Christopher Moore: Trustee
• Hamish Frost: Trustee
• Judith Carol Woodworth: Appointed trustee in 2024
• Marcus Hugh Tristam De La Poer Beresford: Trustee

No trustees receive remuneration, though one or more trustees receive payments or benefits for providing services to the charity.

How to Apply to The Apollo Foundation

How to Apply

The Apollo Foundation does not have a public application process. The Foundation operates by making grants at the discretion of its trustees to specific organisations with which it has established relationships, primarily the Alfred Beit Foundation and the National Gallery of Ireland. Organisations seeking support would need to approach the trustees directly, though success would likely depend on alignment with the Foundation's focused mission and existing relationships with its principal beneficiaries.

Getting on Their Radar

Given trustee Robert O'Byrne's expertise and prominence in Irish heritage circles, organisations working in fine arts education, Irish country house preservation, or Georgian architecture may benefit from engagement with the Irish Georgian Society and similar heritage organisations where trustees are active. O'Byrne's extensive writing and speaking engagements on Irish country houses and decorative arts suggest trustees are well-connected within Ireland's heritage community.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Given the Foundation's concentrated grant-making approach, the following factors appear critical:

• Established institutional presence: Both major beneficiaries are well-established Irish institutions with significant heritage value
• Focus on youth engagement: The Apollo Project demonstrates the Foundation's commitment to making fine arts education accessible to young people of all abilities
• Connection to Lady Beit's legacy: Support for Russborough House honors the Foundation's origins in Lady Beit's estate
• Educational mission: All supported initiatives center on education rather than purely operational or commercial objectives
• Long-term relationships: The Foundation appears to favor sustained, multi-year support relationships rather than one-off grants
• Geographic focus: Exclusively supports activities in Ireland and Northern Ireland

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Apollo Foundation does not accept open applications; grants are made at trustee discretion to specific partner institutions
• The Foundation has donated approximately €2.5 million to Russborough House alone, indicating capacity for significant multi-year commitments
• Youth education in the fine arts is a clear priority, as evidenced by the Apollo Fellowship and Apollo Project
• Geographic focus is exclusively Ireland and Northern Ireland
• The Foundation values collaborative, co-produced initiatives (the Apollo Project involves young people, the National Gallery, and Russborough House)
• Trustees have deep expertise in Irish heritage, particularly country houses and decorative arts
• The Foundation appears to favor institutional support over individual artist grants

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Marshal Beresford's Fund
• The Reta Lila Howard Foundation
• The Nagle Family Foundation
• The Williams Charitable Trust
• The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation
• The Soho House Foundation
• Marc Fitch Fund
• Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation
• Matchroom Charitable Foundation
• The Screwfix Foundation

References

• UK Charity Commission Register of Charities, The Apollo Foundation (Charity Number 290351), accessed 2 December 2024, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=290351&subid=0
• National Gallery of Ireland, “Apollo Project,” accessed 2 December 2024, https://www.nationalgallery.ie/what-we-do/our-organisation/collections-research/education-department/apollo-project
• National Gallery of Ireland, “Young people inspire at National Gallery of Ireland with launch of new initiative,” press release, accessed 2 December 2024
• Russborough House, “Education in the Arts,” accessed 2 December 2024, https://www.russborough.ie/education
• The Irish Times, “Stolen, found – an Old Master nativity with a colourful past,” accessed 2 December 2024
• The Irish Aesthete (Robert O'Byrne), “About,” accessed 2 December 2024, https://theirishaesthete.com/about/
• Giving is Great, “The Apollo Foundation Charity Factsheet,” accessed 2 December 2024, https://givingisgreat.org.uk/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=290351