An Endowment Fund involves a single donation (or multiple donations over time) of at least £25,000. This capital is invested and the income earned is awarded in grants. It is a sustainable and sustained donation that has a long-lasting impact for the community, providing annual income for grant-making year-on-year.
The Foundation will work with you (and your staff team if desired) to establish the funding criteria of your Fund, and will produce Annual Impact reports on the investment and impact of your corporate giving. Your business can add to the endowment at any point.
The Community Foundation in Wales currently holds £7.9 million in endowment, most of which is restricted into our specific 22 Named Funds, with the remainder being distributed for strategic grant making at the discretion of the Trustees.
We work closely with you to outline the key causes or areas which you wish to support through your philanthropy, summarised in a Fund Agreement.
Depending on how you would like to interact with your Fund the Foundation can present you with proposals from our assessments of applications to your Fund, allowing you to decide exactly which groups you’d like to support. We can arrange project visits before or after awarding your grants to give you a true insight into the difference your Fund is making.
The Foundation charges an annual management fee of 1.25% of the capital value of your Endowment Fund.
Our Finance, Risk & Investment Board Committee is responsible for managing the Foundation’s investments, ensuring your endowment gift performs as well as possible to reap the best returns for grant-making. Committee members have considerable experience in wealth management, investment, managing and monitoring Fund Managers, and stewarding clients’ funds. Our investment returns have consistently performed above benchmark, thanks to robust and prudent policies and protocols.
The Foundation’s Annual Report & Accounts are audited each year, and our robust governance and management processes are monitored through the UK Community Foundation’s Quality Accreditation programme which is endorsed by the Charity Commission.
