Page 7 - Our Impact 2014

THE POTENTIALIN OXFORDSHIREAt OCF, we’re building our ability to make our community a better place. Nonetheless, given the potential for charitable investment in the county, we think there is so much more we could do:• We are currently holding £2.9 million in investments. But surely Oxfordshire can do better than Norfolk, Cumbria and County Durham, whose community foundations each hold more than £10 million in charitable funds?• We have awarded £4 million in grants since we started in 1995, benefiting 2,385 local projects. However, Kent Community Foundation awarded the same amount in just 12 months during 2013–14!• We are the 12th fastest growing community foundation in the UK – but we want to overtake Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire, all of whom are growing faster than we are in Oxfordshire.In the coming years, we want to grow Oxfordshire’s nest egg, and reach the same league as some of our peers.A MANIFESTO FOR THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTIONThe UK Community Foundations (UKCF)umbrella organisation has published a series of recommendations for the next government elected in 2015. Here are some highlights:Create a new match-funded scheme• From 2011 to 2014, philanthropists have been encouraged to donate more thanks to the 50% funding boost provided by the government’s Community First Endowment Challenge. UKCF wants the next parliament to build on this momentum by starting a new challenge.Enable tax-efficient lifetime legacies• Lifetime legacies would enable donors to pledge part of their estate to charity, whilst still retaining the benefit of the income during their lifetime, allowing them to be extremely tax efficient. UKCF wantsthe next government to establish a clear system to promote this.Reduce the number of new private trusts• Setting up a personal charity or private trust creates a lot of work in terms of governance and infrastructure, whereas donor-advised funds are much more efficient. UKCF wants the Charity Commission to actively encourage the creation of more donor-advised funds and fewer private trusts.Impact Report 2014 7OUR APPROACH