Ireland is entering an important period for philanthropy. Household wealth is at a record high of €1.27 trillion, significant intergenerational wealth transfer is underway, and Ireland’s National Philanthropy Policy provides, for the first time, a national framework to create a more enabling environment for giving. Professional advisers are present at many of the moments when decisions about that wealth are made; from business sales and retirement to succession, estate planning and intergenerational transfer.

At Philanthropy Ireland, we have also seen steadily increasing engagement from wealth managers, banks, solicitors, tax advisers and other professional firms seeking to understand philanthropy and how they can better support clients. Yet there has been little Irish evidence about what actually happens in the adviser-client relationship: how often philanthropy is discussed, whether advisers feel comfortable raising it, and what support they need to do so effectively. That gap prompted Advising for Impact, which represents the first dedicated Irish research examining philanthropy within High Net Worth and Ultra High Net Worth professional adviser-client relationships.

The methodology drew on established international research, particularly studies exploring the gap between what advisers assume clients want and what clients themselves expect. We then adapted the research for the Irish legal, tax, banking and wealth-management environment. An advisory committee reviewed the survey instrument before it was fielded, testing its terminology, relevance, and practical applicability. The anonymous survey ultimately received 55 responses from professional advisers, 70% of whom had more than ten years’ experience working with HNW or UHNW clients.

What makes the Irish findings particularly interesting is how they compare internationally. STEP’s 2025 global research found that clients increasingly value holistic advice aligned with their values and that advisers who ask thoughtful, well-framed questions about wealth, purpose and long-term impact are well received by clients.

This matters not only for professional advisers, but for the wider philanthropy ecosystem. Client expectations are evolving, and advisers are increasingly being asked to understand not simply how wealth is preserved or transferred, but what clients want that wealth to achieve. In our research, 63% of advisers said they had observed some or a significant increase in client interest in philanthropy in recent years. At the same time, philanthropy remains concentrated around particular moments in the client journey: 75% said it most commonly arises through estate or succession planning. This places advisers in a unique position. They are often present at precisely the moments when questions of purpose, legacy and the use of wealth come to the fore. For the philanthropy sector, understanding and supporting that role is critical.

Advisers can help translate an individual’s generosity or intention into action by opening the conversation, helping clients clarify their goals and, importantly, connecting them with the specialist expertise, philanthropic vehicles, intermediaries and organisations that can support effective giving. Strengthening those connections has the potential to benefit everyone involved: clients receive more holistic advice, advisers can respond to changing expectations, and more philanthropic capital can ultimately be directed towards meaningful and lasting social good. For Philanthropy Ireland, this research is a starting point rather than an end point. The findings will inform new guidance, training and practical supports for professional advisers, helping strengthen the connection between those with the capacity and desire to give and Ireland’s wider philanthropy ecosystem.