Community Foundation - Local Environmental Action Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £8.8 million (Community Foundation total, 2023)
• Success Rate: 60-70% (Community Foundation overall)
• Decision Time: 12 weeks
• Grant Range: £750 - £2,000
• Geographic Focus: Tyne and Wear and Northumberland, North East England

Contact Details

Website: www.communityfoundation.org.uk/group_grant/local-environmental-action-fund/

Email: general@communityfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 0191 222 0945

Address: Philanthropy House, Woodbine Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 1DD

Application Portal: www.communityfoundation.org.uk/apply

Overview

The Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) Endowment Fund is operated by the Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland (charity number 700510), established in 1988. The Community Foundation is the UK's largest community foundation by endowment size (nearly £100 million). LEAF was originally launched in 2006 as a ground-breaking collaboration between the Community Foundation, Shears Foundation, and Greggs Foundation, along with individual and corporate donors. Over 12 years, the original fund awarded over 260 grants totalling nearly £2 million, creating 854 networks of active environmentalists and supporting 13,000 people to directly improve their local environment, helping over 101,000 people improve their environmental awareness. The endowment fund continues this legacy, helping people deliver projects that address and/or raise awareness of environmental issues across the region, with a particular focus on areas of severe environmental and economic hardship.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

LEAF Endowment Fund: £750 - £2,000 (rolling applications accepted year-round via online portal)

Priority Areas

Applications must demonstrate one or more of the following outcomes:

• Encouraging communities to get involved in environmental activities
• Changing behaviours leading to more local environmental action
• Having a positive impact on the environment
• Sharing learning about the environment with others

The fund is most interested in projects that can demonstrate immediate impact on the environment, while also considering applications focused on raising awareness, education, and behaviour change.

Eligible project types include:

• Developing community orchards and wildflower meadows
• Establishing children's nature clubs
• Marine education projects engaging communities in caring for local beaches and monitoring marine life
• Bee-friendly projects educating young people about pollinator importance
• Tree planting to combat soil erosion and improve biodiversity
• Litter picking equipment and community clean-up initiatives
• Green infrastructure development
• Community food growing projects
• Waste reduction and CO2 emission reduction initiatives
• Habitat improvement projects

The primary focus of applications must clearly be on the environment, but should also show how the proposed activity will have a positive impact on the quality of life of communities, particularly in areas of severe environmental and economic hardship.

What They Don't Fund

The Community Foundation generally does not fund:

• Grant-making or equivalent gifts in kind by other organisations
• Privately owned and profit-distributing companies or limited partnerships
• Projects outside Tyne and Wear and Northumberland

Note: LEAF will consider applications for projects focused on any environmental theme, except those outlined in specific exclusions. Contact the Foundation for detailed exclusion criteria.

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Governance and Leadership

President & Vice-Presidents

President: His Grace the Duke of Northumberland

Vice-Presidents: Anna Lady Blackett, Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Geoff Hodgson OBE, Dr Caroline Pryer LL, Dr Hari Shukla CBE DCL DL, Dr Shobha Srivastava MBE, Hugh Welch, Sue Winfield CVO OBE CStJ, Lucy Winskell OBE LL, Mike Worthington OBE

Board of Trustees

• Phil Moorhouse (Chair) - Non-executive director and business investor
• Jill Baker (Deputy Chair) - Director of Communities, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales
• Paul Farquhar (Treasurer) - Former CFO, Kromek Group Plc
• Lucia Bridgeman DL - Partner, Fallodon estate
• Michael Brodie CBE - Chief Executive, NHS Business Services Authority
• Dawn Creighton - Head of Customer Strategy and Experience, Northumbrian Water
• Sarah Glendinning - Director of Business Partnerships, Northumbria University
• Colin Hewitt - Senior Partner, Ward Hadaway
• Claire Malcolm MBE - Chief Executive, New Writing North
• Stella Simbo - Volunteers Coordinator, Success4All CIO
• Pam Smith - Chief Executive, Newcastle City Council
• Fiona Standfield - Chief Operating Officer, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
• Dr Laura Warwick - Senior lecturer and consultant in service design

Senior Executive Team

• Rob Williamson OBE, DL - Chief Executive
• Sonia Waugh FCCA - Chief Finance and Operating Officer
• John Hollingsworth MBA - Chief Philanthropy and Development Officer
• Adam Lopardo - Chief Funding and Partnerships Officer

Leadership Quote: Chief Executive Rob Williamson has stated: "It's my huge privilege to lead the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland which, through the generosity of our donors, and brilliance of our grantees, makes such a difference to our area's people and places.“ On trust and reputation, he emphasized: ”no money or support of any kind comes to a charity without trust and reputation. So investing in those is core to everything we do."

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

1. Register on the grantee portal at www.communityfoundation.org.uk/apply (allow up to 2 working days for approval)
2. Submit application using the standard online Community Foundation application form
3. Applications accepted year-round on a rolling basis with no specific deadlines
4. First-time applicants: Attend a “Time to Talk” session before applying (recommended)

Application Requirements:

• A governing document (constitution, articles, etc.)
• At least three unrelated board members
• A bank account with two unrelated signatories
• Adequate safeguarding arrangements
• All requested supporting documentation

Decision Timeline

For eligible, complete applications, the Community Foundation aims to provide decisions within 12 weeks of receiving all necessary information.

Notification method: Applicants are notified directly via email.

Success Rates

The Community Foundation reports a 60-70% success rate for eligible applications overall. The LEAF fund has historically been very successful, awarding over 260 grants over its 12-year initial period.

Reapplication Policy

While specific reapplication waiting periods for LEAF are not publicly stated, the Community Foundation offers support services to unsuccessful applicants to increase their chances of future success. Applicants should contact the Foundation directly for guidance on reapplying after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Specific Advice from the Funder

• Focus on demonstrable change: The fund is most interested in projects that can show they will make a demonstrable change and immediate impact on the environment
• Community engagement is essential: Larger environmental charities must demonstrate significant community involvement in the development and delivery of proposals
• Start small: First-time applicants should expect smaller grants initially; larger requests require prior contact with the Foundation
• Complete applications: Submit complete applications with all requested documentation to avoid delays
• Demonstrate multiple benefits: Show how environmental activities will positively impact community quality of life, particularly in areas of environmental and economic hardship
• Be specific about outcomes: Clearly demonstrate one or more of the four required outcomes (community involvement, behaviour change, environmental impact, or sharing learning)

Examples of Funded Projects

• Clara Vale Conservation Group: Orchard community project to improve local engagement and education resources
• Community orchards and wildflower meadows: Developing green spaces that combine environmental and educational benefits
• Children's nature clubs: Establishing ongoing environmental education programmes in communities
• Marine education projects: Engaging communities in caring for local beaches and monitoring marine life
• Bee-friendly initiatives: Educating young people about the importance of pollinators
• Tree planting projects: 2,000+ trees planted to combat soil erosion and improve biodiversity
• Community litter picking: Equipment purchases for ongoing community clean-up initiatives

Language and Terminology

The fund emphasizes:

• “Local environmental action”
• “Community-led” initiatives
• “Raising awareness”
• “Behaviour change”
• “Environmental and economic hardship”
• “Quality of life”
• “Demonstrable change”
• “Immediate impact”

Common Success Factors

• Projects that combine environmental improvement with community engagement
• Clear focus on the local environment in Tyne and Wear or Northumberland
• Strong community involvement, particularly from small local voluntary and community organisations
• Projects addressing environmental challenges in economically disadvantaged areas
• Initiatives that create lasting behaviour change, not just one-off activities
• Applications that show learning will be shared with others locally

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic specificity matters: Projects must be located in Tyne and Wear or Northumberland - this is a strict requirement
• Small grants, big impact: With a maximum of £2,000, focus on achievable, concrete activities rather than ambitious multi-year programmes
• Community comes first: Even though this is an environmental fund, demonstrating community benefit and involvement is essential for success
• Build a relationship: First-time applicants should attend a “Time to Talk” session - the Foundation values relationship-building with grantees
• Act quickly: The 12-week decision timeline means you can plan projects with relatively short lead times; rolling applications allow flexibility
• Think beyond wildlife: While biodiversity projects are welcome, the fund equally values community engagement, education, and behaviour change around environmental issues
• Demonstrate hardship focus: Applications addressing environmental issues in areas of economic disadvantage align particularly well with fund priorities

References

• Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland official website - www.communityfoundation.org.uk
• LEAF Endowment Fund page - www.communityfoundation.org.uk/group_grant/local-environmental-action-fund/
• Community Foundation application guidance - www.communityfoundation.org.uk/apply/
• Charity Commission record for Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland (charity number 700510) - register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk
• “New environmental fund launched in North East” - Community Foundation news article
• Community Foundation team members and leadership - www.communityfoundation.org.uk/our-people/
• "Community Foundation CEO Rob Williamson receives OBE in the New Year's Honours 2024" - Community Foundation news article
• 360Giving GrantNav - Community Foundation grant data - grantnav.threesixtygiving.org
• VODA (Voluntary Organisations' Network North East) LEAF fund information - voda.org.uk
• Community Foundation LEAF partnership information referencing Greggs Foundation and Shears Foundation collaboration