Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum of Fairfield (IGHMF) is proud to announce the launch
“The 1847 Fund”, a new approach to fundraising befitting the cultural and historical
value of “The Great Hunger Collection.” Obviously, 1847 is a reference what became
known as Black ’47, generally considered the worst year of the famine - when death
tolls began to mount, hunger related diseases like typhus and relapsing fever took hold,
and mass emigration, often forced, increased dramatically. In fact, by end of this May in
1847, forty Coffin Ships lay at anchor, lined up for miles in the St. Laurence River,
awaiting inspection at Grosse Isle quarantine station. On board were some 12,500 Irish
men, woman and children hoping to gain entrance to Canada via the port of Quebec.

Today we would call them refugees, not from a famine, for there was no famine in
Ireland at this time. There was however a failure, of a single crop, the pervasive lumper
potato on which much of the island’s population survived. Those aboard those coffin
ships and countless others like them, were refugees not from a natural disaster, but
from a socio-economic calamity, created and left virtually unchecked by their fellow
man, through legislation, economic policies and attitudes all of which favored not the
masses, but a privileged few.

So why would IGHMF name a fundraising campaign after the darkest point in Irish
history? The answer to that is simple: 1847 also speaks to the resilience of the Irish
people - those who survived and lived on in the place of their birth. But also, those who
would find themselves in Canada, America, Australia or England - far from home, but
maintaining a connection to Ireland.

The Great Hunger Collection speaks to all such survivors and their descendants. And in
a sense, this priceless collection belongs to every one of us, worldwide, with Irish
heritage. It details and teaches us all about an essential component of our own story;
how our ancestors not only survived but flourished and we came to be where we find
ourselves today. The 1847 Fund targets not just Connecticut, New England or even the
United States, but everywhere that mass 19th century Irish immigration remains evident
today.

The 1847 Fund is an over-arching umbrella, encompassing all forms of the future
museum’s fundraising activities and tying them together. This includes a $50
membership purchased via our website, admittance to one of our temporary exhibitions,
or a sponsorship. Using a $2,000 Gala sponsorship as an example: a donor’s
generosity entitles them to a full table at the event itself, complete with food and drink.
That Gala sponsor is also entitled to an ad in the Gala journal, is listed as a sponsor on
our website and will be recognized from the podium. But via the 1847 Fund, that $2,000
sponsorship also counts toward the donor’s lifetime giving, tabulated upon the opening

of the new museum. And if that donor purchased the same sponsorship two years
consecutively, their lifetime giving would now total $4,000.

Within The 1847 Fund, will be roughly a dozen lifetime donation levels. At the lower end
donors will be recognized via thank you letter from IGHMF, or a frameable certificate
acknowledging their support. But at the upper end, donors receive more substantial
rewards, up to and including long term naming rights for a portion of the new museum.
This new approach provides ample opportunity for individuals plus organizations and
businesses of all sizes to contribute at a level appropriate for them. As a 501(c)3, we
will utilize all of the tools at our disposal, including print & social media, email and
crowdfunding, plus marketing benefits that organizations like Google for Non-Profits
make available to charitable organizations like IGHMF.

At this stage, we seek long term strategic partners to help us complete our mission.
These include universities with Irish Studies programs, philanthropic & cultural
organizations which share our values, state & federal grants, and the Irish government
through facilities like the Emigrant Support Programme, supporting organizations that
promote Irish culture worldwide. And of course, we appreciate the support of the
collection’s current owner, Quinnipiac University, the Gaelic American Club and all
individuals who share our vision.

Our executive board and steering committee, all of us volunteers, are united by two
principles: 1) We believe in the artistic, historical, cultural and educational value of The
Great Hunger Collection and the opportunities it offers to both learn from our past and
improve our future; and 2) We remain resolute in our commitment to resurrect The
Great Hunger Museum here in Fairfield.

In the coming weeks you will begin to see “The 1847 Fund” name in the press and
social media and we do hope you will join us and support our mission!