Celebrating 50 years

In 1975, the first UK and European community foundation was established in Swindon, England.  50 years later, there are over 850 community foundations spread across Europe - including 47 in the UK.

From supporting grassroots charities that have gone on to become major charities like Trussell, to distributing £76 million as the main partner to the National Emergencies Trust during Covid-19, your local community foundations have helped thousands of people in neighbourhoods all over the nation during the last five decades.

 

1914: a new approach to giving

The community foundations movement began in Cleveland, USA, in 1914.  The Cleveland Foundation was created to address the challenge of managing small, scattered charitable endowments effectively, adapting to changing needs and channelling local giving more effectively. 

The model's success led to the creation of other community foundations like the California Community Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust.

1975: a first for the UK and Europe

Fast forward 61 years to 1975, Thamesdown Community Trust began with a simple but powerful idea: to support local voluntary groups by bringing businesses together to pool their charitable giving, believing they could achieve far more together than alone.

Its founder, Lord Joel Joffe, was a passionate advocate for social justice and charitable giving.  Lord Joffe, a South African lawyer who represented Nelson Mandela during the Rivonia Trial, believed deeply in the power of communities to drive meaningful change.

In 1991, Thamesdown Community Trust merged with Wiltshire Community Trust, renaming itself as Wiltshire Community Foundation.

The 80s and 90s: growing local support

A mix of government support and endowment challenge grants from Charities Aid Foundation and C.S Mott Foundation enabled community foundation numbers to grow in the 1980s and 1990s. 

The Community Foundation Network was established in 1991 to promote cooperation and share best practice between UK-based community foundations. 

By the year 2000, there were 26 independent community foundations, including national community foundations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Today: creating a national movement

In 2013, the Community Foundation Network relaunched as UK Community Foundations (UKCF) which we are known as today.

Our network of accredited community foundations in the UK and in Jersey has now collectively distributed just over £2 billion to individuals, grassroots organisations and local charities, serving as a trusted channel for local action in every neighbourhood.

Connected action around the globe

Place-based philanthropy has scaled up across the world, with more than 1,800 community foundations now operating in countries throughout Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, North America and the South Pacific.

UKCF collaborates with international community foundation networks to share learnings and drive global development.  These include Community Foundations of Canada, Community Foundations Australia, Community Foundations NZ, Global Fund for Community Foundations, European Community Foundation Initiative, the Council on Foundations, and other international bodies that support place-based philanthropy.

Our total giving over 50 years

Find out when your nearest community foundation was founded and how much they have distributed in total since their beginning, thanks to all the incredible donors in your region. 

You'll also see our network total grow as you go down the list, leading to an incredible £2 billion over 50 years!

  

  • 1975
    Wiltshire Community Foundation
    £26,800,000
  • 1979
    The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland
    £102,062,031
  • 1985
    Berkshire Community Foundation
    £21,965,050
  • 1986
    Milton Keynes Community Foundation
    £41,897,188
  • 1986
    Quartet Community Foundation
    £79,000,000
  • 1986
    South Yorkshire's Community Foundation
    £40,000,000
  • 1988
    Community Foundation North East
    £177,323,120
  • 1988
    Hertfordshire Community Foundation
    £35,217,594
  • 1989
    Forever Manchester
    £64,864,029
  • 1989
    Gloucestershire Community Foundation
    £13,556,719
  • 1990
    East End Community Foundation
    £35,000,000
  • 1991
    Community Foundation for Calderdale
    £35,731,000
  • 1994
    Foundation Derbyshire
    £19,425,000
  • 1995
    Point North Community Foundation
    £70,831,812
  • 1995
    Heart of England Community Foundation
    £55,500,000
  • 1995
    Oxfordshire Community Foundation
    £20,310,000
  • 1996
    Devon Community Foundation
    £26,197,000
  • 1996
    Essex Community Foundation
    £59,111,782
  • 1996
    Foundation Scotland
    £200,000,000
  • 1997
    Forever Notts
    £32,000,000
  • 1999
    Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside
    £78,081,000
  • 1999
    Community Foundation Wales
    £46,132,000
  • 1999
    Cumbria Community Foundation
    £74,853,000
  • 2000
    Dorset Community Foundation
    £22,000,000
  • 2000
    Heart of Bucks Community Foundation
    £18,500,000
  • 2000
    Two Ridings Community Foundation
    £23,356,000
  • 2001
    Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation
    £34,700,000
  • 2001
    Kent Community Foundation
    £60,000,000
  • 2001
    Northamptonshire Community Foundation
    £23,900,000
  • 2002
    Herefordshire Community Foundation
    £7,898,332
  • 2002
    Lincolnshire Community Foundation
    £24,000,000
  • 2002
    Somerset Community Foundation
    £31,000,000
  • 2003
    Cornwall Community Foundation
    £22,000,000
  • 2003
    Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Community Foundation
    £16,000,000
  • 2003
    Worcestershire Community Foundation
    £10,000,000
  • 2004
    Cambridgeshire Community Foundation
    £36,000,000
  • 2005
    Community Foundation for Surrey
    £25,528,194
  • 2005
    Leeds Community Foundation
    £65,000,000
  • 2005
    Norfolk Community Foundation
    £55,057,626
  • 2005
    Suffolk Community Foundation
    £46,000,000
  • 2006
    Sussex Community Foundation
    £35,272,761
  • 2008
    Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire
    £24,236,413
  • 2010
    One Community Foundation (Kirklees)
    £7,067,000
  • 2010
    The London Community Foundation
    £135,000,000
  • 2011
    Cheshire Community Foundation
    £14,074,509
  • 2020
    Jersey Community Foundation
    £9,000,000
Total

Looking ahead to the next 50 years

Get in touch with UKCF and support communities throughout the nation.