Community foundations are local champions, connecting people and organisations that want to improve their communities.
They also inspire local philanthropy, advising people who want to give locally, both now and in the long term.
Community foundations are pivotal organisations within their local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector with deep understanding of local needs and issues. UK Community Foundations is the membership body for the UK’s 47 community foundations. Collectively, we are the fourth-largest funder of community groups, investing in the local people and organisations tackling the biggest issues facing communities today.
During the pandemic, our network distributed more than £76 million of National Emergencies Trust funding to organisations responding to hunger, isolation, digital exclusion and mental health.
We are now helping with the recovery, supporting a range of projects and organisations that are enabling communities to reconnect and revitalise after months of separation. You can read more about our work in our recent report, ‘Investing, inspiring and including’.
Community foundations are natural partners for councils, and many of our members already have excellent relationships with their councils. For example, Sussex Community Foundation works closely with Brighton & Hove City Council, which led to a £1 million trust transfer in 2017 and a three-way partnership with a private donor who has given £250,000 to address homelessness.
Leeds Community Foundation has close relationships with both Leeds and Bradford Councils and runs funds for both; it is a major partner on the holiday activities and food programme for Leeds and supports a number of historic funds, while in Bradford it has focused on emergency and infrastructure funding.
Those who have not yet developed such links are keen to explore working together: a full list of community foundations can be found on our website (left). We look forward to collaborating as we work together to help our communities recover from the pandemic.