Community Foundation Serving Tyne & Wear And Northumberland

Charity Number: 700510

Annual Expenditure: £8.8M
Geographic Focus: Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne City, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Northumberland

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £7.2m - £8.8m
  • Total Grants Distributed: Over £165m since 1988
  • Success Rate: 66% (2022-23)
  • Decision Time: 12 weeks
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £10,000
  • Average Grant: £6,000
  • Geographic Focus: Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, North East England

Contact Details

Website: www.communityfoundation.org.uk

Phone: 0191 222 0945

Email: general@communityfoundation.org.uk

Application Portal: Online grantee portal (registration required, allow 2 working days)

Support: “Time to Talk” sessions available for first-time applicants

Overview

The Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland was established in May 1988, founded by Quaker businessman-academic Grigor McClelland with seed funding from the Baring Foundation. It is now the largest community foundation by asset size in the UK and made its first grants in 1989 (£120,000). The Foundation has distributed over £165 million through more than 40,000 grants to nearly 10,000 organisations and 4,000 individuals. In 2023, they awarded £8.8m through 1,393 grants to 622 organizations. Led by Chief Executive Rob Williamson OBE, DL since 2009, the Foundation manages nearly 300 different donor-established funds. Their mission is “to build a thriving, generous and inclusive North East today and for generations to come by inspiring philanthropy, investing in communities and influencing change.” The Foundation received a groundbreaking AAA rating, achieving the first-ever 'A' in diversity from the Foundation Practice Rating 2024.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation operates nearly 300 individual funds with varying criteria. Applications are submitted through a general portal and matched to appropriate funds. Key programs include:

  • General Grants: £1,000 - £10,000 (average £6,000), typically one-year funding - Rolling basis via online portal
  • Gateshead VCSE Fund: Supports voluntary, community and social enterprise organizations in Gateshead - Rolling basis
  • Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF): Environmental initiatives at community level, £1,000 - £2,000 - Rolling basis
  • North East Fund for the Arts: Enables community groups to access professional arts activities - Rolling basis
  • Northumbrian Water Fund: Water environment, poverty, and health issues, £1,000 - £2,000 (priority to organisations under £100,000 income) - Rolling basis
  • Mayor's Opportunity Fund: Specific initiatives aligned with mayoral priorities - Check website for current availability
  • Community Accelerator Fund: Supporting community business development - Rolling basis

The Foundation aims to reach £10m annually while increasing larger, multi-year core grants.

Priority Areas

  • Tackling poverty: Supporting people on low incomes and maximizing benefits
  • Widening access to opportunity: Creating opportunities for disadvantaged groups
  • Improving health and community safety: Including domestic abuse prevention, SEND support
  • Strengthening culture and community life: Arts access, community cohesion
  • Sustaining the environment: Local environmental action, biodiversity, climate initiatives

Particular emphasis on supporting people who experience discrimination or disadvantage. The Foundation is a generalist grantmaker supporting a wide range of community groups.

What They Don't Fund

  • Activities that are not legally charitable
  • Contributions to general appeals or grant-making by other organisations
  • Work for the primary advancement of religion
  • Activities that are the statutory responsibility of public bodies
  • Animal welfare projects
  • Activities already completed or retrospective funding
  • Grants from privately owned or profit-distributing companies
  • Applications under £1,000
  • Organizations with income over £1 million (focus on small local charities)
  • Multiple applications from first-time applicants
  • Larger grants to first-time applicants (build relationship first)
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Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Phil Moorhouse (Chair) - Non-executive director and business investor
  • Lucy Winskell OBE (Deputy Chair) - Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne & Wear
  • Paul Farquhar (Treasurer) - Former Chief Financial Officer at Kromek Group plc
  • Andrew Haigh - Chief Executive of Newcastle Building Society
  • Colin Hewitt - Senior Partner at Ward Hadaway
  • Claire Malcolm MBE - Chief Executive of New Writing North
  • Pam Smith - Chief Executive of Newcastle City Council

Trustees are leaders from business, philanthropy, public, and charity sectors, with most nominated from among the Foundation's members.

Senior Staff

  • Rob Williamson OBE, DL - Chief Executive (since 2009, received OBE in King's New Year's Honours 2024)
  • Sonia Waugh FCCA - Chief Finance and Operating Officer
  • John Hollingsworth MBA - Chief Philanthropy and Development Officer

Leadership Insights

Rob Williamson on supporting applicants: “Working out the effectiveness of their own governance can be a minefield for small charities. With this app [DSC Governance App], DSC makes it really straightforward and easy.” The Foundation shares governance tools “with our applicants and grantees as a great tool to use.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Submit - Applications considered year-round with no deadlines

The Foundation assesses your proposed activity and matches it to one or more of their nearly 300 funds. No two funds are identical, so applications are evaluated for fit with each fund's specific interests.

Decision Timeline

  • Standard decision: Within 12 weeks from receipt of completed application
  • If an application will take longer, the Foundation contacts the applicant
  • Applications are shortlisted and reviewed by advisory panels/donors for final selection
  • Applicants are notified of decisions directly

Success Rates

  • 66% success rate for funding requests decided in 2022-23
  • This is an encouraging rate compared to many funders
  • Many organizations successfully receive funding after initial rejections, sometimes with suggested improvements

Reapplication Policy

  • Unsuccessful applicants can reapply, but the Foundation may request changes or recommend seeking advice before resubmission
  • First-time grant recipients must submit satisfactory monitoring or agreed progress reports before making further applications
  • Multiple applications from first-time applicants are not accepted
  • Larger grants are not typically made to first-time applicants (relationship building is valued)

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from the Funder

  • Read guidelines carefully: Review all pages and help notes before starting your application
  • Attend support sessions: “Time to Talk” sessions are available for first-time applicants
  • Provide complete information: Include all required documents and clearly explain your work
  • Demonstrate outcomes: Explain what the funding is for, who will benefit, and how success will be measured
  • Show organizational strength: Be transparent about governance, safeguarding, and organizational capacity

What the Funder Assesses

The team evaluates both the organization and the specific funding request, looking at:

  • Organizational strengths and any weaknesses
  • How well the proposal aligns with available fund criteria
  • Governance quality and safeguarding arrangements
  • Clarity of outcomes and beneficiary impact
  • Financial need and organizational capacity

Recently Funded Projects (Examples)

  • Farmer Network: Combined education and action with 2,000+ trees and hedgerow planting to combat soil erosion and improve biodiversity on farmland near the River Tyne (partnership with Tyne Rivers Trust)
  • Clara Vale Conservation Group: Orchard community project for local engagement and education; Reserve Access project to improve pathways and entry gates
  • Arts organizations: Supporting community groups to access professional, quality arts activities
  • Environmental groups: Local environmental action including biodiversity, climate, and water quality initiatives

Language and Terminology

  • Focus on community benefit and tackling disadvantage
  • Emphasize local impact in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland
  • Highlight outcomes rather than just activities
  • Demonstrate organizational sustainability and good governance
  • Show awareness of inclusion, equity, and diversity

Standing Out

  • Demonstrate strong local connections and community involvement
  • Show clear evidence of need in your community
  • Present realistic, measurable outcomes
  • Have robust governance and safeguarding in place
  • Be specific about how funding will make a difference
  • Build a relationship with the Foundation over time (smaller first grant, then larger)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • High success rate: At 66%, the Community Foundation has one of the better success rates for grant-making, making it worth the application effort for eligible organizations
  • Generalist approach with 300 funds: Your application goes into a general pool and is matched to suitable funds, so write comprehensively about your work rather than tailoring to one specific fund criterion
  • Relationship-building matters: First-time applicants receive smaller grants and cannot submit multiple applications; plan to establish a track record before seeking larger funding
  • Rolling applications are advantageous: No deadlines means you can apply when ready and timing won't affect your chances—focus on application quality
  • 12-week decision timeline is reliable: Plan your cash flow accordingly; if you need funding by a specific date, apply at least 3 months in advance
  • Small-charity focus: With income limits of £1 million and average grants of £6,000, this funder specifically targets grassroots organizations—if you're small and local, you're in the sweet spot
  • Governance and safeguarding are critical: These are explicitly assessed, so ensure your policies and practices are robust before applying—the Foundation even recommends governance tools to applicants

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