L2GF is a small family foundation which focuses on active engagement — that is, finding and partnering with initiatives that align with our mission. We operate a very light staffing structure, and do not typically run open funding rounds
It is only through their expertise and hard work that we can deliver impact through our funding
We recognise that transformative change can come about through effective policy and advocacy initiatives
We will support organisational capacity building as well as project/programme implementation
After some successful exits via the Lifes2good Business, James and Maria decided that the time was right for them to give something back. They founded the Lifes2good foundation with a focus on empowering and educating women and children, particularly those in vulnerable situations.
Over 5 years from 2017 to 2023, they focused their philanthropy on Ireland and two developing countries, Malawi and Afghanistan. They supported economic empowerment initiatives, educational programmes and cultural awareness campaigns. The top value guiding them was always Human Dignity.
In January 2021, the founders of L2GF, James and Maria Murphy, asked the CEO of L2GF to meet with the next generation of the Murphy family to get their input on the strategic direction in which the foundation should head in the period 2023 to 2027. Across all four members of the next generation, the environment came top of the agenda.
The current strategy continues to support some of the successful projects from the first strategic plan but the majority of giving is now focused on promoting environmental sustainability in Ireland. After further scoping work, this environmental mission has been refined to achieving Sustainable Land use in Ireland with a focus on three key themes: Restoring Landscapes, Farming with Nature and Sustainable food.
We have deep respect for our partners and their expertise, the human dignity of the people our partners work with, and the inherent value of nature.
We are curious about exploring innovative ideas, while accepting that trying new things involves an element of calculated risk.
Risk appetite is impacted by the light staffing structure of the foundation.
We believe that we can achieve more by working closely with, and fostering, collaboration amongst, our partners.
Our project concerns human beings’ ethical relationship with the natural environment. A serious problem exists with respect to the status and meaning of ‘environmental values’.
We seek to fund and support projects that strive to have real and meaningful impact.
“Lifes2good Foundation logo includes the words “improving people’s lives” but it is the hard work and dedication of our partners on the ground from Ballybrit in Galway to Phalombe in rural Malawi that creates the life-changing impact. Meaningful change is not possible without respect for and true engagement with local communities, and we are fortunate that our partners embody these principles while also giving us the opportunity to grow and flourish as a foundation. We believe that our partnerships have the potential to bear significant fruit in the coming years”
James Murphy
Co-Founder
James Murphy
The Leaders for Nature Programme, led by Common Purpose with partners, is a pioneering initiative that equips leaders across sectors with the skills, networks, and resilience to tackle Ireland’s biodiversity and climate challenges. Our core funding supports its launch and growth, helping to build a new generation of environmental leaders ready to drive nature recovery nationwide.
This research and education initiative, led by the Sexual Exploitation Research & Policy Institute and educational expert Eoghan Cleary, addresses the harmful influence of mainstream pornography on young people in Ireland through documenting the delivery and impact of a pioneering Gender Studies & Porn Literacy programme. The project equips and empowers students to critically assess pornography’s impact on consent, gender norms, sexual expectations and behaviour, as well as sexual and gender based violence, while promoting healthy, respectful relationships and gender equality. With successful early outcomes and secured initial funding, the team aims to provide the evidence base for the scaling of this programme nationally by embedding it in teacher training and youth education, ultimately transforming attitudes and reducing sexual violence among future generations.
LIFE IP Wild Atlantic Nature is piloting piloted two innovative initiatives to strengthen community involvement in conservation and restoration. The first is was the Natura Communities Seed Fund, a local communities support Group grants fund, which will provided seed funding of up to €15,000 for community groups working on projects that protect and restore blanket bog Special Areas of Conservation and related habitats. By requiring match funding, including voluntary contributions, the scheme will multiplied investment in nature conservation while empowering local groups. The second initiative brings brought the Hare’s Corner model, pioneered in the Burren by the Burrenbeo Trust, to new areas, starting in Co. Mayo. This programme supports landowners and community groups to create small-scale biodiversity projects such as woodlands, orchards, and ponds, with all materials and labour locally sourced. Together, these initiatives aimed to mobilise communities, build networks, and scale up practical, locally driven action for Ireland’s biodiversity.
Outcomes – To date, the €100,000 seed fund has leveraged an additional €80,000 in match funding and €2.9m in subsequent grant funding and contracts for peatland conservation and restoration works in the NW of Ireland. Over 2023 and 2024, The Hare’s Corner initiative supported 197 actions including the creation of 56 mini-woodlands, 19 wildlife ponds, 75 mini-orchards, 37 plans for nature and 10 peatland plans in communities right across Mayo
Baboró International Arts Festival for Children is Ireland’s flagship festival devoted exclusively to young audiences, based in Galway. Each year it brings world-class theatre, dance, music, visual arts, and literature to children, families, and schools, creating joyful and inspiring cultural experiences. Alongside its annual festival, Baboró runs year-round programmes that support artists, promote creativity in classrooms, and ensure that every child has the chance to experience the magic of the arts, regardless of background or circumstance.
The Creating Space project followed 50 children in Merlin Woods primary school from the start of 1st class in September 2023 until they finished 2nd class in June 2025. Artist Colm Ó Foghlú worked with the children on creative activities in the classroom, exploring many different artistic disciplines. The goal at the heart of Creating Space was to help the students develop their social and emotional skills through consistent engagement with the arts. Most of the children were from disadvantaged backgrounds, and so the project work focused on identity, community-building and the power to make change.
Maoin Cheoil na Gaillimhe is Galway’s community music school, dedicated to making high-quality music education accessible to people of all ages and abilities. Offering individual and group lessons, ensembles, and workshops across a wide range of instruments and styles, the school nurtures creativity, performance skills, and a lifelong love of music. With a strong focus on inclusion and excellence, Maoin Cheoil provides a space where students can develop their talents, connect with others, and contribute to Galway’s rich cultural life.
An Meitheal Rothar is a community-based, not-for-profit bicycle workshop and social enterprise in Galway. It promotes sustainable transport by helping people repair, reuse, and recycle bikes, while also running training programmes, community bike schemes, and workshops that make cycling more accessible and affordable. Rooted in the Irish tradition of “meitheal” (working together for the common good), the organisation combines practical skills, environmental action, and community spirit to support a healthier, low-carbon future.
MoyHill Regenerative Farm is a working farm on the west coast of Ireland dedicated to building healthy soils, feeding the local community, and training the next generation of regenerative farmers. Alongside growing food, the farm runs internships, training programmes, walks, and events that connect people with sustainable farming in practice. With investment in core infrastructure and staff support, Moy Hill will be able to improve its operations, expand its educational reach, and create better facilities for interns and workers. Longer term, the farm plans to develop a dedicated training centre and work with networks like Talamh Beo to influence policy, ensuring regenerative farming is recognised and supported nationally.
Macnas, the internationally acclaimed spectacle theatre company from Galway, is working to deepen its impact through a programme that combines large-scale parades with the nation’s leading spectacle artists, volunteer participants from the community and environmentally conscious artistic practice and educational initiatives.
This project supports Macnas in evolving its business model, strengthening partnerships and enhancing its ability to connect with wider and more diverse audiences. By building on its tradition of imaginative public performance, Macnas aims to inspire creativity, foster community participation and expand the reach of its work both in Ireland and abroad.
Fieldsgood is a regenerative agriculture festival in Northern Ireland that brings together farmers, communities, and innovators to share knowledge and celebrate sustainable farming practices with a focus on the Soil under our feet! Our support this year helps the festival continue to grow as a hub for learning and collaboration, with plans already underway to expand its reach.
In partnership with the five-time Academy Award nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon, Our Story is developing ÉRIU—a new animation project and nationwide education programme with sustainability at its core. Blending powerful storytelling with themes of environmental protection, indigenous wisdom, conflict resolution, and youth empowerment, ÉRIU seeks to inspire rather than overwhelm, offering hopeful and engaging narratives that motivate climate action across Ireland.
Trinity College Dublin is launching a new Land Use PhD programme as part of its flagship Trinity Research Doctorate Awards, which provide the gold standard of PhD funding in Ireland. The programme will support doctoral researchers tackling the urgent challenges of land use, biodiversity, and climate, equipping them with interdisciplinary training and the resources needed to generate solutions with real-world impact. By investing in these PhDs, Trinity is building the next generation of research leaders who will shape land use policy, practice, and innovation in Ireland and beyond.
Dingle Hub is a not-for-profit community enterprise on the Dingle Peninsula that brings people together to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss while creating sustainable local jobs. With support from the Lifes2Good Foundation, the Hub secured vital new funding and long-term contracts that strengthen its financial stability and future pipeline. This foundation allows Dingle Hub to expand its role as a “Living Lab” trialling and showcasing innovative approaches in renewable energy, agriculture, and the creative industries. By scaling and sharing these solutions, the Hub is helping to inspire climate action that can be replicated across Ireland.
FoodCloud’s Growers’ Project redistributes surplus fresh produce from Irish farms to over 200 community groups nationwide, reducing food waste, improving access to fresh nutritious produce, and cutting carbon emissions. In 2024 alone, it delivered over 560,000 meals and avoided 424 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, while also supporting local growers. We’re providing some additional support now as FoodCloud aims to scale the Irish farmers side of their initiative significantly over the next two years
This initiative led by Ruth Hegarty, a food policy and sustainable food systems specialist, proposes a research and coalition-building phase to develop a new, holistic vision for school food in Ireland—one that supports child health, local economies, environmental sustainability, and food education. Over seven months, the project will produce a clear vision document, scope future pilot models, and build a broad coalition to advocate for reform of the current government school meals scheme.
Music for Galway, in collaboration with Resurgam and Galway’s own Baroque ensemble Vespera, is reviving Handel’s Messiah as a truly community-rooted production. Building on the success of past collaborations, this project brings together professional musicians and singers alongside community choirs, children’s voices, and amateur performers of all ages, creating a layered and dynamic presentation that is both polished and participatory. Staged in St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway Messiah combines excellence with inclusivity, offering affordable access for audiences while establishing the foundations for an annual December tradition that connects Galway’s cultural community with one of the world’s most beloved works.
Commissioned by Community Law and Mediation and supported by the Lifes2Good Foundation, this research by Maynooth University explored whether Ireland should enshrine environmental rights in its Constitution. Against the backdrop of Ireland’s biodiversity, climate, and pollution crises, the study assessed gaps in implementation of existing laws and examined how constitutional rights such as a right to a clean and healthy environment could strengthen governance, enforcement, and public participation. With the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss and the cross-party Joint Oireachtas Committee both recommending consideration of a referendum, the report examines how constitutional environmental rights could be designed to make them effective, worthwhile and acceptable to a sufficient portion of the population to be adopted via a referendum. This project provides timely insights into the legal, practical, and policy implications of constitutionalising environmental rights in Ireland.
In partnership with the University of Galway, Pocket Forests will design and create a control study plot on campus to test if Pocket Forests can improve the sustainability of urban tree planting. The plot will help to scale and grow the concept as a future-proofed, nature-led, climate resilient and community-building approach to urban greening.
In partnership with the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), this project is using innovative legal strategies to hold powerful actors accountable for environmental destruction and related human rights abuses. While the climate crisis is the greatest threat humanity has ever faced, corporations and financial institutions continue to profit from the exploitation of land, communities, and ecosystems.
GLAN is developing cases that apply proceeds of crime and anti-money laundering laws to the wider network of banks, investors, and traders that enable or benefit from environmental crimes, no matter how many steps removed they are. By building a transnational legal consortium and focusing on targeted case studies, this initiative aims to transform systemic complicity into accountability—ensuring environmental crimes result in justice rather than profit.
The Bioregional Weaving Lab in Southeast Ireland is working with the Lifes2Good Foundation to advance the restoration and regeneration of land and waters through a holistic, community-driven approach. The partnership focuses on strengthening BWL’s capacity, supporting local regenerative projects and innovators, creating a national knowledge-sharing platform, and exploring new bioregional alliances.
Guided by the 4 Returns framework, the initiative ensures funding flows directly to local stakeholders while building collaboration and long-term impact across Ireland.
The Burrenbeo Trust is building on its proven models of community stewardship, place-based learning, and sustainable farming to scale up its impact on Ireland’s biodiversity and climate challenges. Current plans include launching a national festival of farming, nature and food; and developing practical learning resources for communities and strengthening its policy influence around the Nature Restoration Law and CAP reform.
Alongside these initiatives, Burrenbeo is investing in organisational capacity and sustainable funding to ensure it can deliver this next phase of growth while maintaining the integrity and quality of its work.
The Active Consent programme based at the University of Galway, is a research-driven initiative delivering comprehensive, sex-positive consent education across Ireland, spanning schools, colleges, and community settings. Rooted in robust data and creative arts approaches, it develops workshops, e-learning modules, dramas, campaigns, and training, all underpinned by ongoing evaluation and stakeholder collaboration.
Since 2013, Active Consent has reached over 100,000 people directly and millions more through digital resources. Building on its national success, the programme is now extending its influence overseas: it is being incorporated into a study-abroad curriculum in the U.S., where students engage with the Galway team and their methods, laying the groundwork for implementing Active Consent in American universities
In partnership with the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), the Lifes2Good Foundation is supporting marginalised girls in rural Malawi to transition from school into secure, climate-smart livelihoods. Building on four years of collaboration that has already supported 1,900 girls to access secondary education and 2,447 young women to transition towards productive livelihoods, this new phase will reach at least 6,600 school leavers across 10 districts.
The programme addresses the critical period after graduation when girls are most at risk of exclusion, early marriage, or exploitative labour, by providing the resources, training, and support they need to achieve financial independence, strengthen their communities, and contribute to climate resilience.
Hometree is developing a national-scale approach to nature restoration in Ireland by creating a financing mechanism that supports landowners and communities to restore native woodlands. Alongside this, multi-annual support will strengthen the organisation’s capacity and readiness to deliver, while an increased focus on advocacy and policy will help remove barriers to large-scale woodland restoration.
Foundation Lead
Philip became involved with the foundation in 2020, initially supporting behind the scenes before taking on the role of Foundation Lead in 2025. He holds an undergraduate and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, specialising in renewable energy, and spent three years working in the sector before making the move to philanthropy.
He now leads the day-to-day work of the foundation, with a particular focus on sustainable land use, nature restoration, and food systems in Ireland. He brings a systems mindset to the role, and a genuine curiosity about where philanthropic support can have real and lasting effect. He is drawn to the hard questions: what’s actually working, why, and what it would take to scale it.
Philip will also be quick to entertain any conversation regarding an unused pizza oven he build a decade ago or his grandfather’s old boat in Sweden.
Advisor
Maurice was the CEO of the Lifes2good Foundation from 2017 to early 2026. He has worked in international development and humanitarian response for 17 years. He has been based in Ireland, Kenya and Baltimore, USA. He has been involved in the humanitarian response to many major crises from the Asian tsunami, to the Haiti earthquake to the more recent Syria crisis. Prior to working in the humanitarian sector Maurice worked in Irish politics and before that he spent a year in Bosnia with the EU, after the war, as a “Political and Humanitarian Monitor”.
He is a former Irish army cavalry officer. He is an English literature graduate from NUIG and holds a Higher Diploma in Education and a degree in Human Resource Management. Maurice enjoys all sports, particularly Irish rugby, and for his sins he is a Leeds United soccer fan! Maurice recently completed his first triathlon (indoors!)
Maurice is no longer working operationally for the foundation but he provides support and advises in key decisions.
Company Secretary
Tom is a Galway native and graduated with honours from G.M.I.T. with a Bachelors in Business Studies specialising in Accounting. After qualifying as an Accountant, Tom worked and travelled in Australia in the Banking sector before returning to Dublin where he worked in a number of senior accounting roles with Ormsby & Rhodes, the Royal College of Physicians and Eircom. His final role in Dublin was as Group Financial Controller for CPL Resources Plc managing all finance and tax aspects of the various acquisitions that the group was making. Whilst at CPL, he completed an executive MBA at Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.
In 2011, he joined Lifes2good in Galway also as Group Financial Controller to help develop the global group structure for Lifes2good as they expanded rapidly with their health and beauty brands. This included set ups in Spain, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Turkey and covered all financial, corporate, tax and HR aspects of operating in those jurisdictions along with optimising the existing set ups in Ireland, UK, US, Portugal and the Netherlands. Between 2014 and 2015, Tom completed the CFO executive leadership for growth programme in Stanford University in California, US, bringing huge learnings to play in the fast growth of the company. Tom was centrally involved in the due diligence carried out by Church & Dwight in 2016 / 2017 when they purchased the Viviscal brand outright from Lifes2good. In January 2018, Tom was appointed CFO of the Lifes2good / Mount Amber group. The group has expanded into many other avenues such as property, strategic partnerships in the product innovation sector and Tom was appointed CFO of one of our investments Biogix, Inc in Los Angeles in 2018.
Tom is the Finance and Company Secretary for Lifes2good Foundation. Tom lives in Galway with his wife Jennie and their five young children. “Children’s sports training and events keeps everyone busy for the full week.”
Board Member
Dearbhla is a dual qualified chartered accountant and internal auditor. She has a broad background in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, having worked in financial services, marketing and advertising, management consultancy, local and national government and with international charities.
Dearbhla’s expertise is in audit, governance, risk management, fraud investigation, compliance, internal control, regulatory requirements, accountability, value for money assessment, due diligence and assurance mapping.
Dearbhla is from County Down and now spends her family time between Kildare and Galway.
Board Member
Denis served for 23 years as an Army Officer in the Irish Defence Forces,which included six overseas trips with the United Nations, OSCE and EU in the Balkans and Middle East. He subsequently worked for Ability West as Area Manager for their services in East Galway for five years. Since 2008 Denis has worked as Humanitarian Affairs Officer with UN-OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, the Middle East, Geneva and York. Denis has a B.Comm and MBA from NUIG and is married and living in Galway.
Chairman
Conor is delighted to chair the board of the Lifes2good foundation alongside his primary privilege of raising four children together with his wife Áine. He is a practicing GP with an interest in sports & exercise medicine, while also working in RCSI’s department of General Practice as a research fellow.
He enjoys bringing this experience to the foundation’s diverse board, of which he has been a part since its inception. As the foundation drives towards generating and supporting impact in the area of land use in Ireland, amongst other priorities, he is looking forward to learning from experts in the field and maximising the value the foundation can bring to these partnerships.
Board Member
Heather Pope has been a Galway resident for the last 30 years. She is married to Ciarán and they have 3 adult children, who have all now flown the nest. Heather went back out into the workforce 15 years ago and has been engaged in finance, governance and administration. After a chapter employed as Diocesan Administrator for the CoI in the West of Ireland, she has recently been appointed as Grants Officer (RoI & NI) for the Benefact Trust.
Heather has long been involved with Galway Samaritans and her local church community. She was Branch Director of Galway Samaritans from 2010-2013 and has held other leadership roles within the organisation. Heather sits on the CoI Representative Church Body, the Pensions Board, Stipends Committee and the RCB Library & Archives Committee.
Board Member
Pierce is a sustainable energy consultant based in London with a broad background in energy, infrastructure, and sustainable agricultural consulting. Pierce brings a business management undergraduate background from Technological University Dublin and an MSc in Climate Change Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh. Along with currently pursuing a part-time post graduate diploma in agriculture. Pierce comes from an agricultural family background in Tipperary and is passionate about advancing sustainable land-use initiatives in Ireland and aims to bring this perspective, enthusiasm, and early career experience to effect real change with Lifes2Good Foundation. Other interests include sports, travel, and nature.
Board Member
Zhanna O’Clery currently leads the advancement team at UWC Dilijan College Armenia. She has worked in a variety of settings and roles with the Atlantic Philanthropies, Trinity College Dublin, the Swiss-based International Baccalaureate Organization, Western Academy of Beijing, the World Bank in Washington DC and Krasnoyarsk Pedagogical Institute. Zhanna completed her Ph.D. in Moscow Pedagogical University.
She serves on the board of Research Motor Neurone.
An Armenian and a native of the former Soviet Union, Zhanna resides in Dublin with her husband, the writer and journalist Conor O’Clery, with whom she shares a passion for politics, reading, travel and producing fruit and vegetables.
Conor wrote a book “Shoemaker and His Daughter” about Zhanna’s family.
Board Member
Maria was born In Stockholm and grew up in Sweden. In her early career she worked in banking in Sweden, Luxembourg and Brussels. She met, and married, James when working for a Swedish bank In Luxembourg. She has lived in Ireland since 1991 and has four grown up children.
She has been on the board of several companies including Lifes2good which, in 2017, successfully sold Viviscal hair growth business to Church & Dwight, a public listed company based in New Jersey.
Maria has been actively involved in St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church as Churchwarden and Glebewarden since 2006.
A dedicated board member of Lifes2good Foundation, she has helped invest in several worthy causes for vulnerable women and children at home and abroad. She also has a keen interest in, and concern for, environmental matters.
Other interests include music and the great outdoors.
Board Member
James is the Founder and CEO of Lifes2good, having set-up the company in 1997. Born in Galway, he attended St. Jarlath’s College in Tuam and then attained a B. Comm in NUIG. before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1986. James then moved to Brussels where he worked for Coopers & Lybrand. He returned to Ireland in 1991 to join BMR-Slendertone where he built the brand, and then he sold out his participation in 1997 to start up Lifes2good.
Under James leadership, Lifes2good has grown from a small distribution company to a global enterprise. James made the company’s first acquisition in the UK in 2003. In 2007 he acquired the Viviscal brand. The company continued to grow with further expansion throughout Europe and the US. Lifes2good grew the business worldwide with offices in Ireland, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Portugal. The Viviscal business grew to €50m in 2016 and in January 2017, Lifes2good successfully sold the Viviscal brand to the US Conglomerate Church & Dwight for €150m. He continues to invest in women’s healthcare and has had some significant success primarily in the US. . Beverley Life was acquired in 2017 and is being developed into a cardiovascular business which is expanding in the US
James is a believer in lifelong learning. He has attended the Leadership 4 Growth programme at Stanford University in California. He was one of the finalists in the Ernst &Young Entrepreneur of the Year programme in 2013.
James has supported worthy causes in Galway down through the years and visited Kenya in 2005 and supported small local businesses in Nairobi slums. He set up Lifes2good Foundation in 2017. The main sectoral focus of the Foundation is on vulnerable women and children but he also has an interest in supporting organisations working in active and vibrant communities that can positively impact on the society around them. The main geographical focus of the Foundation is on Galway / West of Ireland and two developing countries.
James lives in Galway with his wife Maria and they have four grown up children. He also enjoys participating in Triathlons, singing with the Galway Tenors, and supporting the local Rugby community.
