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 £2.1 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!
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1975Wiltshire Community Foundation£26,800,000
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1979The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland£102,062,031
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1985Berkshire Community Foundation£21,965,050
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1986Milton Keynes Community Foundation£41,897,188
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1986Quartet Community Foundation£79,000,000
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1986South Yorkshire's Community Foundation£40,000,000
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1988Community Foundation North East£177,323,120
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1988Hertfordshire Community Foundation£35,217,594
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1989Forever Manchester£64,864,029
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1989Gloucestershire Community Foundation£13,556,719
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1990East End Community Foundation£35,000,000
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1991Community Foundation for Calderdale£35,731,000
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1994Foundation Derbyshire£19,425,000
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1995Point North Community Foundation£70,831,812
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1995Heart of England Community Foundation£55,500,000
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1995Oxfordshire Community Foundation£20,310,000
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1996Devon Community Foundation£26,197,000
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1996Essex Community Foundation£59,111,782
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1996Foundation Scotland£200,000,000
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1997Forever Notts£32,000,000
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1999Community Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside£78,081,000
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1999Community Foundation Wales£46,132,000
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1999Cumbria Community Foundation£74,853,000
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2000Dorset Community Foundation£22,000,000
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2000Heart of Bucks Community Foundation£18,500,000
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2000Two Ridings Community Foundation£23,356,000
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2001Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation£34,700,000
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2001Kent Community Foundation£60,000,000
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2001Northamptonshire Community Foundation£23,900,000
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2002Herefordshire Community Foundation£7,898,332
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2002Lincolnshire Community Foundation£24,000,000
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2002Somerset Community Foundation£31,000,000
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2003Cornwall Community Foundation£22,000,000
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2003Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Community Foundation£16,000,000
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2003Worcestershire Community Foundation£10,000,000
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2004Cambridgeshire Community Foundation£36,000,000
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2005Community Foundation for Surrey£25,528,194
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2005Leeds Community Foundation£65,000,000
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2005Norfolk Community Foundation£55,057,626
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2005Suffolk Community Foundation£46,000,000
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2006Sussex Community Foundation£35,272,761
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2008Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire£24,236,413
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2010One Community Foundation (Kirklees)£7,067,000
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2010The London Community Foundation£135,000,000
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2011Cheshire Community Foundation£14,074,509
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2020Jersey Community Foundation£9,000,000
Looking ahead to the next 50 years
Get in touch with UKCF and support communities throughout the nation.
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.