Funds raised during the Surviving Winter appeal in Oxfordshire total just over £12,000, and have been used to support a variety of community groups across the county who are expert in meeting the needs of elderly and vulnerable people.
The biennial Beacon Awards celebrate innovative philanthropy in the UK, and we were delighted to be there to see one of our most influential donors receive an award. Hedge fund manager David Harding and his wife Claudia recently established £600k fund with Oxfordshire Community Foundation, adding a local element to their extensive portfolio of charitable giving.
Community foundations UK-wide are now collectively in the top 15 for charitable endowments held in the UK, with the second fastest growing endowment in the country. As we approach the General Election, umbrella organisation UKCF is lobbying for the next government to make local philanthropy one of its key strategic priorities.
The Future-Building Fund takes a ground-breaking approach to supporting the local charitable sector, providing large grants to help ambitious charities significantly scale up their operation. The fund has recently awarded grants to Trax and Yellow Submarine, with more in the pipeline.
Last year, 13 community foundations across the UK received gifts of £1 million and above, working with private donors, corporations and trusts and foundations.
The Philanthropy Fellowship, a network of community philanthropists set up to inspire a greater culture of giving in the UK, hits a milestone this December as a new report documenting great British philanthropy is published.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has praised the role of community foundations in creating an inclusive capitalism, as OCF-funded charity My Life My Choice starts a new campaign asking for tolerance and inclusion.
Jo Corfield, who has pioneered equine involvement therapy for emotionally troubled young people and adults, has received new backers since she began working with Oxfordshire Community Foundation.
At the end of November, OCF once again launched its annual Surviving Winter appeal alongside other community foundations in the UK. Now in its fifth year, we believe this continues to provide a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of the challenges faced by older and vulnerable people.
The Beacon Awards for Philanthropy has launched a search for inspirational philanthropists in the UK. As local Beacon agents, Oxfordshire Community Foundation are keen to find nominees from Oxfordshire for the prestigious philanthropy awards, which will be presented in April 2015.