Individual and Family Giving through
Herefordshire Community Foundation
"The returns on a family investment in philanthropy are - or can be - extremely high,
both internally and externally. When such an investment is well executed, a family
can achieve the cohesion that comes with a sense of higher purpose and co-operative
effort."
Paul N. Ylvisaker (1990)
Family Foundations: High Risk,
High Reward.
As an individual, or as a family, giving through Herefordshire Community Foundation
could not be easier. Many individuals and families who would once have considered
setting up an independent trust or foundation are finding that the community foundation
route saves them the administration (both in costs and in terms of time) whilst still
enabling them to stay "hands on" in relation to the causes that their grants go to.
And you don't have to be wealthy to set up a fund in the community foundation. You
could set up a fund to mark a significant life event, or to remember a member of
the family who has died. One family in Herefordshire did this, pooling donations
made by friends and family to set up a fund commemorating and celebrating a life
well lived.
Or you could be a group of friends with something that you would like to commemorate
- named funds don't have to just be given by a family or an indivdual. A group of
friends or associates can each give into a fund, and each donation can be eligible
for Gift Aid, where this is appropriate.
You could consider giving through the Grassroots Challenge Fund - where your donations
will be pooled to assist all of our small community organisations for years to come.
Your donation to this fund also benefits from every £1 that you give being matched
by 50 pence from the government, until December 2010.
Gift Aid adds to the value of your donation - and for individuals and families, this
can add significantly to your fund in the Community Foundation.
Here are couple of useful examples...
The Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon
In 2007, The community Foundation
for Wiltshire and Swindon received a legacy of £2.2 million from a local couple,
Brian and Marie Shuker, to be used for ‘supporting young people in our community
to attend higher education’. The legacy was part cash and part property, so The Foundation
had to develop new skills in managing a property portfolio. One benefit of such a
large gift was that ‘we’ve been able to use the interest straight away and start
offering help to local students without having to wait for an endowment to build
up’. But a further significant benefit has been the huge boost to their credibility
and positioning. The Community Foundation for Wiltshire and Swindon is now recognised
locally as a safe place to put a significant amount of money which makes them more
likely to receive similar large sums in future. A further unexpected consequence
is that the Shuker’s advisor, who handled their will, was so impressed with The Community
Foundation and seeing the difference the money has made, that he is happy to talk
to others about how they can make or refer similar donations.
The Derbyshire Community Foundation
When Tom Carey, an entrepreneur, passed away he left a £2 million legacy to Derbyshire
Community Foundation (UK). In 2009 it was used to set up an endowment fund to support
groups in Derby in the area he grew up in. The fund will contribute towards improving
the quality of life of local residents.
