Setting up a Named Fund

A Named Fund at the Community Foundation works just like a charitable trust. It allows you to support issues and areas of your choosing, but saves you all the trouble of appointing trustees, handling investments and dealing with lots of correspondence. The Community Foundation takes all the hassle out of charitable giving for you!

Named Funds can be "endowed funds" or "annual (flow-through) funds"

A Named Fund is set up with a minimum commitment of £10,000 per year for annual funds or £25,000 for endowed funds - the £25,000 can be spread over three years.

Endowed Funds are invested to allow the initial capital to be at least maintained or grow whilst also producing an annual return which is used to support charitable causes each year. Endowed Funds therefore provide a long term sustainable source of grant funding. 

Annual Funds have a finite life as the initial deposit is used for grant making, typically over the space of 12-18 months.

For both Endowed or Annual Funds, donors can choose how their funds are administered with the following possibilities:

1. Donor Advised Funds

You select the charitable groups supported through your Donor Advised Fund. The Community Foundation welcomes donors' active involvement in grantmaking and provides advice and administration for your fund as required. Such funds may also be set up for specific areas or issues.

2. CCF Serviced Fund

Having understood the types of projects you are interested to support, we advertise the Fund to local community groups and charities and assess grants requests received. We then present you with a shortlist of suitable requests for you to select the ones of interest. We then deal with all the rest -  from sending out grant offer letters, issuing the cheques, and arranging  publicity and perhaps a visit to the groups if you wish. We collect feedback  and monitoring on the projects you have funded and provide you with pictures and case studies to show you what difference your money has made in the local community.

Serving donors and benefiting the community

The Cambridgeshire Community Foundation exists to serve donors and make charitable giving easier and more rewarding. The examples above show how you might give through the Community Foundation. There are many ways of doing so at different stages in your life. Staff and Board members would be only too pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the best way forward with you.

We never forget that each Fund is different and prefer to set the criteria for your Fund in consultation with you and your advisors. Please contact Jane Darlington or Jo Abel to discuss how to set up your Fund.