Collaborating with existing trusts and foundations

Community foundations are the ideal partners for larger trusts who require expert support with their local grantmaking. Our members deliver ongoing local grant-making programmes for a wide range of larger funders

Forming strong local and national partnerships

We are pleased to collaborate with other foundations and charitable trusts who want to reach communities across the UK. Many larger trusts and foundations which wish to provide funding in one or more specific geographical areas work directly with the relevant community foundations. Where a trust wishes to achieve national reach, UKCF will work with them to co-ordinate a national programme. The most significant partnership in our history has been with The National Emergencies Trust (NET) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, where we delivered more than £68million of funding to groups supporting their local communities to survive the crisis. Another recent national partnership is with Made by Sport whose ‘Clubs in Crisis’ Fund supports clubs and community organisations delivering sport for development programmes to young people.  

Why PARTNER WITH UK COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS

30 Years

30 Years Of
Experience

Support

Provide Advice
& Support

Reach

Reach More
Local Communities

National Reach

National
Reach

Stay informed throughout the process

An important advantage of working with a community foundation is the level of control and decision making that fundholders are able to retain, whilst also taking advantage of our members’ expertise in grantmaking and local knowledge. Fund-holders stay fully involved in how, where and when their funds are spent in the community. Our members are experts in local community need and can offer a range of grantmaking options to meet the needs of larger trusts and foundations. As donor-led organisations, they respond to the needs and charitable goals of our donors.

Square Pegs Theatre performingSquare Pegs Theatre Company, supported by the Kent Community Foundation

“I’m writing to thank you all for being incredible partners this year!Your agility, expertise and dedication has supported 10,000+ charities through 12,500+ grants in record time, no doubt supporting over a million people. For any organisation to reach >1% of the population is impressive but to do this whilst distributing numerous other funds and facing local and personal pressures really is quite remarkable.”

Mhairi Sharp CEO, National Emergencies Trust

boys planting vegetablesCommunigrow, supported by the Kent Community Foundation

Transfer your trust

UKCF works in partnership with the Charity Commission to ensure funds from inactive or dormant charitable trusts are ‘unlocked’ and spent on good causes across the UK.

The Revitalising Trusts Programme has been running since 2018 and in that time, it has revitalised over £30million of inactive funds. This money has been distributed to UKCF, local community foundations and other charities, who have spent it on crucial community projects throughout the country. Even though many of these trusts are very small, collectively the funds hold a significant amount which could make a huge difference to local communities if we are able to revitalise them.

 

Find out how to transfer a trust