Freqently Asked Questions
Where does my money go?
GCN (Gay Community News) is funded publicly to employ three people through the Department
of Gaeltacht, Community and Rural Affairs. All other activities, designing, writing,
printing and distributing the magazine, and keeping the website updated has been
funded through the sale of advertising space and fundraising.
With the current financial crisis in Ireland, advertising has fallen by 50% across
the board for all publications. Whereas other publications may be able to shoulder
this drop, GCN is not. Because we run on such a tight budget, there is no margin
whereby we can absorb this loss.
We have already made various cuts to our outgoings and those cuts are ongoing, but
in order to continue publishing GCN and distributing it free across Ireland, we
need to make a shortfall of €50,000 up this year.
This is our fundraising target. Without your help, GCN will cease to exist.
GCN is a registered charity and our a limited company, and our accounts are available
from the Companies Registration Office.
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Why is GCN so important?
GCN is Ireland's longest-running national gay publication and a not-for-profit registered
charity. It was first published on February 10, 1988 after Tonie Walsh and Catherine
Glendon, both activists on the Dublin gay scene, decided it was time for Ireland's
gay and lesbian population to have a free publication of their own.
The remit of GCN is to educate and inform its readers about political issues that
directly affect them, to entertain them, speak about gay culture, and give them
access to a greater sense of community, for free.
GCN is a lifeline to many lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people, and has
been fundamental to gay life in Ireland, providing a platform for every gay community
organisation and event in this country for 22 years. It provides a wealth of information
that links gay people into community organisations and events, cultural, social
events and all LGBT political action taking place in Ireland.
GCN is owned and published by the National Lesbian and Gay Federation (NLGF Ltd),
which is a voluntary organisation. It has led the media on reporting of gay political
and social issues since it's beginning.
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If GCN ceased publishing, wouldn't some other publication provide the same information?
Because GCN is not-for-profit and does not financially benefit any one individual
or publisher, and published by a voluntary board of activists from the LGBT community,
it represents the LGBT community in a way that cannot be replicated. It's job is
to represent and provide a platform for individuals and organisations in LGBT community,
rather than making profit for any one individual. In this respect, it is unique
in the Irish publishing industry.
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Is GCN a charity?
Yes, GCN is a registered charity. Our charity number is: 12070.
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How can I make my donation go further?
There may be tax relief for your donation, which can benefit GCN.
The minimum donation to an approved charity established in the State, that will
qualify for tax relief in any year, is €250. There is no maximum.
The form of the relief available to an Irish resident individual making a donation
depends on whether the donor is employed or self assessed. In the case of an employed
person, the amount of the donation made will be grossed up in the hands of the charity
by the amount of tax paid by the individual on income from which the donation is
made. For example, if an employed 41% taxpayer makes a donation of €1,180 to
an approved charity, the charity will be deemed to have received €2,000 less
tax deducted of €820. The charity can then reclaim the tax deducted from Revenue.
In order for the charity to make such a reclaim, the individual making the donation
must supply the charity with a certificate confirming that the necessary conditions
are met. GCN will organise for you to receive this form.
For the self-assessed individual (and for a company also), there is no grossing
up procedure; instead he or she should claim an income tax deduction in his or her
tax return for the year of assessment in which the donation is made.
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Why should I donate to GCN?
Your donation will help ensure the continued publication of GCN through these troubled
financial times. You will be contributing to your community by helping secure the
one free central source of information for all LGBT people in Ireland.
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What are GCN's plans for the future?
Currently GCN is a mix of information and entertainment in an attractively designed
package. We plan to continue publishing GCN to such a high standard and disseminating
information to LGBT people across Ireland, while providing a platform for every
gay community organization in this country.
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How is GCN run?
GCN is owned, overseen and published by the National Lesbian and Gay Federation
(NLGF Ltd), which is a voluntary organisation. There are currently seven members
of the NLGF board: Ailbhe Smyth (Chair), Sean Denyer, Orla Howard, Richard Lucey
(Treasurer), Patrick Lynch (Secretary), Olivia McEvoy, Ciaran O'Hultachain and Neil
Ward. New members are recruited regularly.
GCN has four full-time staff members, three of whom are paid through funding from
the Department of Gaeltacht, Community and Rural Affairs. It also has a part-time
designer and financial administrator.
GCN is published monthly and 11,000 copies are distributed across Ireland. The GCN.ie
website is updated several times a day.
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How is GCN funded?
Three of GCN's staff members are funded through the Department of Gaeltacht, Community
and Rural Affairs, under the Community Services Project scheme, administered by
Pobal. Cuts have been made to this funding as off the beginning of 2010. The funding
also contributes to the employment of the Managing Editor.
All other activities, designing, writing, printing and distributing the magazine,
and keeping the website updated has been funded through the sale of advertising
space and fundraising.
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How do I donate?
To donate, please visit our fundraising page.
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Where can I send a cheque?
Send cheques and postal orders to:
GCN,
Unit 2,
Scarlet Row,
Essex Street West,
Dublin 2
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Is there a minimum donation?
The minimum donation amount is €1. We are happy to receive small donations from people who don't have much money, and we are really, really grateful to those donors. Truly, if the gift is meaningful to you, it's meaningful to us. But, it's not uncommon for people to use donation mechanisms such as ours to test stolen credit cards to see if they work. Those people typically use a very small Euro amount for their testing, but a €1 minimum donation amount seems to deter them.
What can I do to help you spread the word?
Spread the word any way you can! Tell your friends. Tell them what GCN means to
you. Ask them if they read GCN and if so, what it means to them. Write about it
and use links in your blog. Tell people in your facebook/twitter updates that you
have supported GCN Forever and encourage to do the same by providing this link:
http://www.gcn.ie/forever
Use this text as the signature file on the bottom of your emails:
GCN, Ireland's key gay community resource is facing financial difficulties and possible
closure. Help protect GCN. Donate now:
http://www.gcn.ie/forever
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How can I contact GCN?
See the Contact us page for details.
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