Our Story
Community foundations have been in existence for over 100 years, during which time they have become a global philanthropic movement, operating in over 1,800 communities worldwide.
How it all began
The first community foundation was set up in America in 1914 by a man called Frederick Goff, as a way for the Cleveland Trust Company to manage multiple small endowments for the benefit of Cleveland.
Like other philanthropists at the time, they had trouble finding beneficiaries for their grants and needed a form of giving that would stand the test of time. Their solution was to design a model that would look at the root causes of problems in communities, rather than being cause specific, that local people could be connected to in perpetuity.
Cloth Cat Music, supported by Leeds Community Foundation
Community foundations in the UK
The UK chapter of the community foundation story began in Swindon in 1975, later merging with the Wiltshire Community Trust to form the present Wiltshire Community Foundation. Many other community foundations were formed during the 1980s and in 1991 the Community Foundation Network was established to invite cooperation and to share best practice.
In 2013, the Community Foundation Network relaunched as UK Community Foundations.
Today, there are over 47 UK-based community foundations in the UKCF network. They collectively manage £811 million in purposeful endowments and distribute over 40,000 grants each year, over £170 million, to support local communities.
They work with local groups and donors to identify needs and shape how to deliver resources over time. Community foundations are flexible and adaptable, and can adjust to local conditions and external factors such as economic cycles and environmental emergencies.
Our international members
We are delighted to have three international members in our community foundation network: Jersey Community Foundation, Bermuda Community Foundation, and Community Foundation for Ireland.
We support our international members by sharing best practice and resources, helping them to achieve our Quality Accreditation, and collaborating with them to elevate local philanthropy and effective grant making. You can find more details about our international members on our network map below.
Black Butterfly, supported by Sussex Community Foundation (Picture: Darren Cool)
Working at UKCF
Make a difference and become part of the UKCF team. Learn more
Disaster Response
Community foundations are there for communities in times of disaster. Learn more
Sharing our data
We are publishing our data on 360Giving in our commitment to sharing transparent data. Learn more
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.