About our national network
We are a national network of community foundations, bringing together people and organisations that want to improve their communities.
A place-based approach
The community foundation model is placed based. This means that grants are distributed according to the particular needs of the local area or region in which the funder is based.
Place-based funding works on the principles of community engagement and collaboration. Its success as a model depends on long-term partnerships, relationship building and being able to leverage local philanthropy to address local problems. Over time community foundations have developed an expert understanding of the issues in an area and how best to deliver funding to tackle them.
They do this by:
- Encouraging local philanthropy
- Researching and understanding local need
- Strengthening the local voluntary and community sector
- Convening community resources
For community foundations, no place or neighbourhood is “forgotten” or “left behind”. Their understanding of need isn’t shaped by stereotypes, preconceptions or assumptions about a locality, rather it is shaped by decades of listening, learning and living in the places that they operate.
Stripey Stork, supported by the Community Foundation for Surrey
Our national reach
There are 47 accredited community foundations in our network, and all have completed our rigorous Quality Accreditation process.
Our members all vary in size. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a single community foundation that serve communities across their respective nations. Many English community foundations have a county boundary and others serve smaller, defined metropolitan areas.
What they all have in common is a deep understanding of the places they serve and a commitment to making them better places for everyone to live, work and thrive in.
Our commitments
We are committed to building a just and fair society. As part of our approach to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion we are proud to support several cross-sector initiatives
Re-engage, supported by Community Foundation Scotland
Kaveed Ali, Interim Co-CEO at UKCF
Working for UKCF
UKCF is a fully remote-working organisation with staff based across the UK, embedded in the communities we serve. Each member of the team can be home based, work from the office of their nearest community foundation or combine the two approaches according to their situation and preference.
We get together for regular team days and make good use of online tools and channels, for both formal meetings and informal catch-ups, to ensure that we all stay in touch and work effectively together.
Our Impact
The collective impact of our network has always been very significant and our endowed funds now stand at £700million
Working with donors
Community foundations work with individuals and families, businesses, local and national government and partner trusts and foundations to ensure that vital funds reach every corner of the UK
Annual reports
Read our annual reports and accounts to find out more about the work of UK Community Foundations and our support for our membership and our network’s impact across the UK
UK Community Foundations is a registered charity in England and Wales. Registered company in England and Wales . Registered address: UK Community Foundations, Northgate Business Centre, 38-40 Northgate, Newark, NG24 1EZ. Registered company no. 2651777 | Registered charity no. 1004630. Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved.