THE former chief executive of philanthropic organisation the American Ireland Fund (AIF) Kingsley Aikins is receiving $500,000 (€385,832) over five years as part of his severance deal with the organisation.

IF you don’t ask, you don’t get. This is the one-line summary of a master class in philanthropic fundraising given by the leader of the largest benevolent organisation in the world, the president and chief executive officer of the Worldwide Ireland Funds, Kingsley Aikins.