What is a Community Foundation?
Community Foundations are independent charities which:
- Raise funds from all sources to give local communities an improved quality of life by supporting a wide range of projects for the benefit of local people.
- Respond to donors (individuals, corporate or legacy) who want their giving concentrated locally, secured over time and focused on specific aims.
- Use locally chosen trustees to ensure value for money in grants made to applicant community groups.
- Build local capital endowed funds so that help to the community can be long lasting.
- Handle funds on behalf of Government, Big Lottery Fund and other countrywide organisations, whenever our in-place network is the most efficient means of delivery.
The Community Foundation Network is the national membership and support organisation for individual community foundations. Collectively, its members:
Are the largest community-focused grant making network in the UK, making over £75 million in grants a year.
- Support annually over 18,000 community organisations.
- Are recognised by HM Treasury as a tax effective service for UK companies.
- Are contracted to provide advice on philanthropic giving to clients of Coutts & Co.
- Have enjoyed individual support and/or donations from corporate names such as Rolls Royce, HSBC, RBS Group, Motorola, Proctor and Gamble and Whitbread, and work with over 6,000 major donors.