Charitable giving has just become easier and more innovative thanks to two recent developments in the charity and insurance sectors.

The Children's Hour, Ireland's biggest fund-raising project, is asking everyone in the workforce to donate their final hour's earnings of this millennium to benefit Irish children in the next one.

"The vision is to give every child in Ireland the basic right to enjoy a happy, healthy, safe and fulfilling future," says the project literature.

The project is an initiative of the Irish Youth Foundation and it is hoped that more than 1.4 million people will donate. Each business needs a Children's Hour "champion" to co-ordinate wage donations. Specific industry weeks have been designated from mid-September through to the end of December to allow each sector to donate its hour's wage. Individual donations are also needed.

More than 100 children's charities in Ireland will benefit from the entirety of funds raised. So far, six recipients have been named: Barnados, Focus Ireland, Temple Street Children's Hospital, The Children's Museum, National Youth Federation and The Children's Trust. Other charities and educational projects are being evaluated.

There will be no deductions for expenses incurred during the campaign as £250,000 (€317,430) was allocated to cover administration and marketing from the National Lottery Beneficiary Fund. For more information contact the Children's Hour at 1850 31 1299.

A new serious-illness cover policy, LifeLine, has added a charitable twist to life assurance. Developed by Coyle Hamilton and Hibernian Life Ltd, LifeLine benefits nine of Ireland's leading charities and foundations, enabling customers to contribute towards research for, and support of, those who suffer from serious illness in Ireland.

The beneficiaries will collectively receive an amount equal to 25 per cent of the first year's premium on every policy, at no cost to the policyholder. They will also receive a donation equal to 5 per cent of the amount of any claims, also at no cost to the policyholder.

The organisations which will benefit are: the Arthritis Foundation of Ireland, Down Syndrome Ireland, Friends of St Luke's Hospital, Irish Cancer Society, Irish Heart Foundation, Irish Kidney Association, Irish Wheelchair Association, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland and Rehab Group.