CFN acts as an umbrella to promote and support philanthropy in the UK and has a number of partnerships
Community First
Do you want to change something or improve the lives of people in your community?
Now with a new programme, Community First, funded by the Office for Civil Society and managed by the Community Development Foundation in partnership with community foundations, there’s practical and financial support available to help you make that difference, and make the money you raise or donate work even harder.
We’re here to help people and groups across England set up their own Community First Funds, to support your areas – both now and in the years to come.
Find out how
Social Action Fund
Community Foundation Network is working in partnership with localgiving.com and sixteen community foundations across England until March 2013 to deliver a strand of the Social Action Fund programme which is funded by the Office for Civil Society (part of the Cabinet Office).
The Social Action Fund is managed by The Social Investment Business on behalf of the Cabinet Office, and will fund social action projects in England from civil society organisations, public sector bodies and businesses with a track record of delivering social action programmes.
The Social Action Fund is part of a broader Government programme of support for social action that was announced in the Giving White Paper and takes its place alongside two other funding streams - Innovation in Giving Fund and Challenge Prizes. £20 million has been awarded to a wide range of game-changing projects in both windows.
We are delighted to be one of the successful applicants to the second window of the Social Action Fund. The Fund recognised community foundations' track record in supporting the role of grassroots local voluntary and community groups in creating thriving communities. This programme will deliver a range of social action activities including the mobilisation of volunteers and contribute to the long-term sustainability of local charities and voluntary through their setting of a web presence on localgiving.com.
Fair Share Trust
“I wanted to be part of a project that celebrated the positive in the community. I got the opportunity to increase my skills and knowledge by working on the project, and I also got to know others in the community, and make new friends. My confidence grew because my ideas were used.”
Local resident, Brent
CFN is responsible for using its local giving expertise to ensure the effective implementation of the £50 million UK-wide Fair Share Trust programme, funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
The Fair Share Trust’s aim is to build community skills, confidence, experience and networks to improve local neighbourhoods and leave a positive lasting legacy in areas that have not received their fair share of Lottery funding in the past. They help local communities to make a difference, by putting regeneration into their hands. The network of 29 local delivery partners work with communities to help change lives for the better in 80 neighbourhoods across the UK.
Working in collaboration with community foundations and other partners across the UK, to date more than £42m has been committed to local projects.
Visit Fair Share Trust's website
Local Giving
Localgiving.com is a website for local charities and community groups to raise money, awareness and support. Localgiving.com allows supporters and donors to search for and find small charities and voluntary organisations in their community.
Every charity listed on Localgiving.com has been independently vetted by their local Community Foundation, in a process approved by the Charity Commission. Unlike other online giving websites that only list charities large enough to be registered with the Charity Commission, Localgiving.com includes small community organisations vetted by their local Community Foundation.
Because all donations are processed through local community foundations, Localgiving.com automatically processes Gift Aid for charities and vetted voluntary organisations.
Localgiving.com was founded in 2008 by Marcelle Speller and is equally owned by CFN and the Ardbrack Foundation; both are registered charities.
Find a local charity
Beacon Awards
The Beacon Awards were established by the Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust to encourage individual contributions to charitable and social causes and to celebrate outstanding practice in giving.
The Beacon Awards seek to identify exceptional examples of philanthropic giving which have brought about sustainable change and build up a body or work to inspire others to actively engage with philanthropy.
Previous winners of Beacon Awards include Jamie Oliver, Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Alec Reed, Dame Stephanie Shirley and Geordie Greig.
The new Beacon website will be launched in September 2012 when nominations for the Beacon Awards 2013 will open
London Evening Standard’s Dispossessed Campaign
In July 2010 CFN launched a partnership with the London Evening Standard in support of the ten local funders delivering the Grassroots Grants programme across London. The Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund linked to the paper’s previous "Dispossessed’ campaign which raised awareness of and funds for individuals and groups struggling with poverty across the capital. The campaign had two elements. Firstly, a fundraising drive to raise £1 million in endowment which, with the match, could total over £2 million to support communities across the capital in the future. Secondly to encourage community and voluntary groups across London to apply for up to £1 million of grant funding linked to the following ‘Dispossessed’ themes:
- Training and educating people who have dropped out of mainstream education
- Getting people into work such as through apprenticeship or mentor schemes
- Fighting gangs, knife and gun crime
- Improving mental and physical health and well-being, such as through sports clubs and helping carers
- Addressing other manifestations of poverty such as homelessness, pensioner poverty or the working poor
The campaign reached its target of £1m in only 24 days
Two years on, the Dispossessed Fund has now reached £8.4 million and is still growing. So far it has helped 634 organisations and 25,000 people. More than £1.75 million that was donated by individuals and businesses was matched by government through the Grassroots Challenge. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “This is a remarkable milestone in a campaign that is already changing the lives of people for the better and tackling extreme poverty in our capital city. The Government is proud to have matched the generous donations by readers of the Evening Standard, knowing that every penny will go to community-based schemes that give people the means to help themselves and to help others.”
Major corporate donors include many of the City’s biggest banks such as Goldman Sachs, Barclays and Rothschild, while others contributing five and six figure sums include the Westfield Shopping Centre, Lush owners Mark and Mo Constantine, and Top Shop boss, Sir Philip Green.
Stephen Hammersley, chief executive of Community Foundation Network, said: “This is a remarkable milestone for the Evening Standard, for all of the readers who contributed to the fund. But most of all it's a critical milestone for all of the people who are working in London to help people who are dispossessed and who are now being supported by money directed to them by the Evening Standard.”
Visit the London Evening Standard’s Dispossessed Fund website