Trusts and foundations are an important source of income for voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises, contributing around £2.7 billion to charitable causes each year.
There are 8,800 charitable trusts and foundations in the UK, but only around 4,000 of those give grants to voluntary and community organisations and social enterprises. They range from national bodies such as Comic Relief – which supports causes across the UK – to local Community Foundations supporting local initiatives.
Organisations need to be prepared to undertake considerable research and planning before applying to a trust.
This overview describes the role that trusts and foundations could play in your organisation.
