2010

November – Localgiving.com is launched nationally with the aim of creating an online presence for small, local charities. Localgiving.com is a social enterprise owned equally by Community Foundation Network and the Ardbrack Foundation.   

October - Jimi Heselden OBE, the single largest donor to any of the community foundations across the UK, was killed in a tragic accident in October.

September - Jimi Heselden, following on from his original donation in 2008, makes two further donations bringing his total contribution to the Hesco Bastion Fund with Leeds Community Foundation to £23 million.  

2009

CFN's Manifesto for Philanthropy published. Community foundations chosen to manage Comic Relief funds. CFN takes over management of the Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust, an award scheme to encourage and reward philanthropic giving.

2008

45 community foundations in England are selected as Local Funders in the Government's Grassroots Grants programme, which comprises an £80 million small grants fund, plus a £50 million endowment challenge.

Leeds Community Foundation receives a donation of £10 million, the largest gift to a community foundation, from a local entrepreneur, Jimi Heselden, who appears on the Sunday Times UK Giving List as one of the UK's most generous donors.

With assets of around £160 million, over 1,400 funds and grant-making averaging £70 million a year, the network is one of the UK's most significant grant-makers.

2007

Community foundations cited as effective funders in the Government's Third Sector Review.

2006

With members, CFN establishes a quality accreditation scheme for community foundations, with standards endorsed by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. CFN becomes a strategic partner of the Office of the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.

2005

The network starts to work in partnership with Coutts & Co. An Esmee Fairbairn Foundation-funded endowment challenge programme (Time for Growth) is completed by ten community foundations, raising £19.5 million from £1 million investment.

2004

At least 35 foundations manage Local Network Funds. Community foundations start to work with Comic Relief to distribute Sport Relief funds across the UK.

2003

CFN is chosen to manage the Fair Share Trust programme, a £50 million investment from the Big Lottery Fund to be spent by 2013 in the most disadvantaged areas of the UK that have not received their 'fair share' of lottery money.

2001

CFN and the network are chosen by Government to deliver Local Network Fund, part of its strategy to eliminate child poverty.

2001

CFN marks ten years of funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to support the development of community foundations in the UK. CS Mott continues to support community foundation development to this day.

1991

Community Foundation Network (CFN) established as the national association for UK community foundations. The CAF-Charles Stewart Mott Foundation Endowment Challenge is successfully completed, demonstrating community foundation fund development is feasible in the UK. £6 million is raised.

1980s

Six UK community foundations are seed funded by CAF and central government.

1975

UK's first community foundation - Swindon - is founded. It later merged with the Wiltshire Community Trust to form the present Community Foundation for Wiltshire & Swindon.

1914   

The world's first community foundation was established in Cleveland, Ohio, USA in 1914. There are now more than 1,440 community foundations in over 50 countries.