Our work with the UK Government
We work with government departments to deliver significant national programmes which support the growth and development of local communities.
Collaborating with a national network
By partnering with UK Community Foundations, government departments and other authority bodies who want to reach all parts of the UK can be sure they have a dedicated team on the ground who know a specific area and are able to respond to local need.
Our members are often able to leverage match funding when this is a prerequisite for funding to be secured. We can provide both nationwide programmes and targeted regional support for partners, combining a geographical spread with local insights.
"What's really important for us to make sure this fund works really well is the partnership with UKCF.
It's local organisations, embedded in the community, that are going to make this fund work, be really effective and, importantly, reach more people."
- Former Minister for Civil Society and Youth, Stuart Andrew
Current Government Programmes
#iwill Fund: youth social action
16 community foundations from the UKCF network have awarded grants of up to £10,000 to groups supporting youth social action, in partnership with DCMS and The National Lottery Fund. We are now in the evaluation stage of the funding round, learning from the projects and participants to inform future funding decisions and influencing other funding practices across the sector.
The Know Your Neighbourhood Fund
We are collaborating with the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) to distribute £14 million of the 'Know Your Neighbourhood' Fund. Funded groups and activities are enabling meaningful and impactful volunteering and tackle loneliness in nine areas around the country. We are currently in the independent evaluation phase of the programme.
Previous government funded programmes
In 2020, UKCF worked with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to distribute £20m of the funding raised on the ‘Big Night In’ to support communities affected by coronavirus.
In 2019, UKCF delivered a round of the #iwill Fund, in partnership with DCMS and The National Lottery Community Fund, which sought to make social action a part of everyday life for as many 10-20 year olds as possible by 2020. An in-depth evaluation report was carried out by inFocus after the programme ended.
In 2018, UKCF launched the Tampon Tax Community Fund which provided grants of up to £10,000 to run projects and services directly benefiting women and girls facing issues such as period poverty, domestic and sexual abuse, mental health and long-term unemployment.
In 2012, the UKCF network managed the Community First Programme. This was an initial £50 million government-backed, match-funding endowment scheme that ran until 2015. Endowments are donations that are set up as funds (pools of money set aside for a specific charitable purposes). They are then invested by the community foundation with the revenue they generate every year going to support the local voluntary sector. Over time, as the endowment fund increases in value, the amount distributed overtakes the original donation. Within a few years of launching the national programme, community foundations were able to treble their grants to communities around the UK.
Want to partner with us?
Contact our partnership team to see how we could work together to benefit UK communities.
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.