Pillars of a classical style building
Trusts and foundations

As part of our mission to continuously increase investment in Oxfordshire, we work with established or new trusts and foundations that would like to outsource part or all of their grant-making. We are also able to handle the transfer of dormant or moribund trusts.

We often work on behalf of other funding bodies and charitable trusts enabling them to support many smaller local Oxfordshire based projects. Our partnerships with organisations such as Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund helps them to channel vital funding into our network of local causes.

Our service to trusts and funding bodies

Both private trusts and foundations and national funding bodies use OCF’s local knowledge to make grants that fit their criteria and strategy, giving local voluntary and community organisations access to funding opportunities that might not otherwise have been available to them. In this way we can provide such partners with an administrative service via our grant-application and panel processes.

Our service to dormant trusts

Many private charitable trust become dormant because they have difficulty identifying beneficiaries, or because the trustees and founders find the administration and responsibility of running a charity becoming too onerous. A dormant trust’s funds can be revitalised by being released to OCF, where they can be used to support areas of current need in Oxfordshire. This service is endorsed by the Charity Commission.

Partnership and The Good Exchange

We are developing partnerships with trusts and foundations with an interest in Oxfordshire, convening them together via a series of ‘Funders’ Forum‘ events. As part of these forums we are focusing on how technology can be used to streamline the process of funding top-quality charitable organisations, for example through match-funding platform The Good Exchange.

To find out more about how we can help you manage your charitable trust, contact us.

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  • “It is so uplifting to meet so many people blessed with generous hearts and a deep sense of community.”

    Ali Mosawi, one of OCF's donors
    Ali Mosawi
    Donor

  • “I really appreciate your work on what for my parents is such an important project. I am glad that the fund has been developing so positively and swiftly.”

    David Evans, fundholder of the Maggie Evans Fund
    David Evans
    Maggie Evans Fund

  • “The huge satisfaction to be gained from spending one’s time in giving in your later years far outweighs any pleasures that you can possibly gain on the golf course, on the beach or on the back of the yacht in the Mediterranean sipping martinis.”

    Michael Oglesby, a UK businessman and philanthropist
    Mike Oglesby

  • “I like to have something worthwhile to get up for each morning… I find that the larger and more strategic the gift, the more pleasure I get out of it.”

    Dame Stephanie Shirley, a British businesswoman and philanthropist
    Dame Stephanie Shirley

  • “I can’t get over it; I’m still shaking when I talk about it. It’s just incredible… I feel a bit guilty about getting so much pleasure out of giving!”

    Terry Bramall, a UK businessman and philanthropist
    Terry Bramall

  • “Generosity is the best investment.”

    Diane Von Furstenberg, a fashion designer and philanthropist
    Diane von Fürstenberg

  • “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

    Warren Buffet, an American business magnate, investor and philanthropist
    Warren Buffet

  • “It is more difficult to give money away intelligently than to earn it in the first place.”

    Andrew Carnegie, a 19th century Scottish American industrialist and philanthropist
    Andrew Carnegie

  • “Prosperity requires not just investment in economic capital, but also in social capital. Community foundations are playing a critical role in helping to deliver a more inclusive capitalism.”

    Mark Carney, Bank of England Governor
    Mark Carney
    Governor of the Bank of England

  • “I feel passionately that so many more people could be philanthropists and are a bit afraid of it. What we need to do as Beacon Fellows is go out there and talk about it. One of the things I want to do is to share the joy that I’ve had!”

    Marcelle Speller OBE
    Marcelle Speller OBE
    Beacon Fellow

  • “Every act of philanthropy touches a life. Deprivation is not destiny. If you come from a disadvantaged background, you just need to be given an
    opportunity.”

    Paul Marshall
    Paul Marshall
    Beacon Fellow

  • “It’s really important to tell the world about what you’re doing. You’ll be naturally quiet and modest, and it’s not very British, but it is very important, so put your modesty aside, tell the world what you’re doing, because they’ll be interested!”

    Paul Barry-Walsh
    Paul Barry-Walsh
    Beacon Fellow
FEATURED
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Ark T Centre

The Ark T Centre is an arts project in East Oxford, and is situated in a high-risk area for Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). Ark T is an open and inclusive community, where people, art, and powerful ideas come together, using the transformative powers of creativity to change lives.

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SOFEA

SOFEA’s mission is to enable the transformation of people’s lives, and their communities, with a major focus on young people. They enable people to fulfil their potential through work, wellbeing, study and purpose projects, providing the means of reducing the immediate effects of disadvantage by relieving food insecurity in the wider community.

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Good Food Oxford (GFO)

Good Food Oxford supports the existing work of many organisations in and around the city working to make our food system more nourishing, less wasteful and more sustainable.

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Thrive

Thrive offers activity clubs and mentoring for young people in two of Oxford’s most deprived areas – Blackbird Leys and Barton. Their clubs and activities are countering the effects of social exclusion.