These donations are turned either into new funds or pooled into existing causes and distributed as grants by the community foundation to local voluntary and charitable organisations in the region.

Some grant funding is referred to as ‘matched funding’. This is where the fund holders provide their donation with the agreement that it is matched by the participating community foundation, the applicant, or by another sponsor such as a local business. This increases the overall amount provided for the intended cause.

There are lots of types of grants that can be set up in collaboration with community foundations to meet a wide range of needs in your local area.

Visit your local community foundation to find out which grants you might be eligible for.

NCVO has this useful guide to understanding grant funds.