26 November 2014
MARK CARNEY COMMENDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MOVEMENT AS IT
CELEBRATES CENTENARY
UK Community Foundations (UKCF) today marks the centenary of the community foundation
movement at its annual symposium in London, with a special birthday message from the
Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney.
Mark Carney said: “Community foundations are vital contributors to building social capital. They
also play a vital role by providing a platform that enables individuals and firms to invest in their
communities. Community foundations are helping to deliver a more inclusive capitalism, one in
which individual virtue and collective prosperity can flourish.”
Community foundations are an international movement, originally started by American banker
Frederick H. Goff, when he set up the first ‘community trust’, which became the Cleveland
Foundation in 1914. Community foundations went global – there are now 1,800 worldwide. In the
late 1980s the movement crossed the Atlantic to the UK, where community foundations have
flourished: 48 are currently active across the country, investing £65m in grants in community-led
charities last year alone. Each community foundation provides a personal service for individuals,
families and companies - helping them invest their money, time and skills to meet the specific
needs of their local communities.
Highlights of UK community foundations’ work in the last ten years include:
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£637m in grants distributed
Almost 200,000 grants made to community-led projects
Manages charitable funds for thousands of donors including individuals, families and
businesses with £500m of endowed giving raised and managed
Chief Executive Stephen Hammersley, who stands down from his role at the end of the year, said:
“It’s been an honour to steer UKCF through the last decade. We’ve been able to show the
immense power and value of community-led solutions and connect many philanthropically
minded people and companies with this world where a little charitable money goes a long, long
way. Take, for example, the food banks in Northampton: able to better help people with the
causes of their food poverty thanks to a grant from a local philanthropist.
“My time at UKCF has taken in the toughest period for charities in this country and beyond, when
the recession hit in 2008. I’m proud of how community foundations have grown through this
period, providing funding for vital charities that otherwise might have closed. In aggregate,
community foundations are now the leading source of finance for community-led social action in
the UK.
12 Angel Gate, 320-326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT
t 020 7713 9326 e network@ukcommunityfoundations.org www.ukcommunityfoundations.org
Honorary President Baroness Prashar CBE Honorary Vice Presidents Sir Christopher Gent, His Grace the Duke of Westminster KG CB CVO OBE TD DL
Chief Executive Stephen Hammersley Registered company no. 2651777 Registered in England and Wales Registered charity no. 1004630
VAT No. 140 6125 53
“I see UK Community Foundations as being the country’s best kept secret - £1billion secrets in
fact: as that is how much has been invested or raised in the last ten years. Personal highlights for
me are all seen through the lens of the connections that we have enabled between people with
money and people with the local knowledge necessary to make change happen. Sometimes this
has been ‘at scale’; for example helping the London Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund happen,
but more often it’s when I meet groups of people, doers and donors, who are committing their
lives to helping others.
“Philanthropy in the UK has changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years, and community
foundations have played a big role in that. I expect that they will continue to play centre stage
over the next hundred years.”
ENDS
The full video message from Mark Carney can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efCJA5vCx0&feature=youtu.be.
For media enquiries or interview requests please contact Bridget Hargreave 07740584404 or
bhargreave@ukcommunityfoundations.org
About UKCF
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UKCF is the membership organisation for community foundations that work across the UK
to raise then distribute money directly to local causes. Community foundations operate
to ensure any form of philanthropy, whether from an individual or an organisation, is
effective and brings greatest benefit to those in need in our local communities. Last year,
community foundations made over 20,000 grants, distributing over £65 million to local
causes. Community foundations’ total managed endowment stands at £450 million, an
increase of 18% on the previous year.
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We represent 48 quality accredited community foundation members, which have been
independently audited to meet our Charity Commission endorsed standards. We also
represent six associates.