Cornwall Community Foundation

Charity Number: 1099977

Annual Expenditure: £3.0M
Geographic Focus: Isles Of Scilly, Cornwall

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £3,000,000+ (2024)
  • Success Rate: 58% (2024 overall)
  • Decision Time: Varies by fund; grants typically paid within 2 weeks of panel decision
  • Grant Range: £500 - £10,000
  • Geographic Focus: Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Contact Details

  • Website: www.cornwallcommunityfoundation.com
  • Email: office@cornwallfoundation.com
  • Phone: 01566 779333
  • Pre-Application Support: Experienced grants team provides support throughout application process; online workshops available covering application basics and top tips

Overview

Cornwall Community Foundation (Charity No. 1099977) was established to promote charitable purposes for the benefit of communities in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Since 2003, the Foundation has awarded more than £20 million in small grants to grassroots, front-line, volunteer-led organisations making a positive impact in their communities. In 2024, they distributed over £3 million in grants with a 58% overall success rate. Under the leadership of CEO Tamas Haydu (appointed March 2017) and Chair of Trustees Kim Conchie DL FRSA (appointed November 2024), the Foundation focuses on combating disadvantage, exclusion and poverty through strategic grantmaking. The Foundation manages multiple named funds, each with specific priorities, and emphasizes building lasting partnerships with grant recipients.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Sedel-Collings Foundation: £500 - £5,000 (supports groups addressing loneliness, disadvantage and supporting the supporters; 76% success rate)
  • PCC Priorities Grant Programme: £1,000 - £5,000 (focuses on prevention and reduction of burglary and shoplifting)
  • Crisis/Long-term Solutions Fund: Variable amounts (addresses immediate crisis needs and systemic change)
  • South West Enterprise Fund (SWEF): Supports young Cornish people aged 18-30 without starter funds for business ideas
  • Surviving Winter Fund: Financial support for those most at risk to stay warm, active and healthy
  • Cornwall Housing Action Appeal: Supports organisations addressing housing crisis and systemic change
  • Young Minds First Fund: Supports emotional wellbeing projects for children and young people
  • Cornwall Lithium Fund: Awards grants to community groups across Cornwall
  • Various named funds: Multiple other funds available, each with specific priorities and criteria

Application Methods: Each fund has its own online application form and timeline; mix of rolling and fixed deadline programmes

Priority Areas

  • Children & young people
  • Crime and anti-social behaviour reduction
  • Crisis funding and emergency support
  • Employability skills training
  • Environmental projects
  • Fuel poverty and financial hardship
  • Loneliness and social isolation
  • Health and wellbeing (mental and physical)
  • Community capacity building
  • Food security
  • Housing support

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects or activities outside Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
  • Statutory/public sector organisations (health authorities, schools, hospitals, parish and town councils)
  • Contributions to endowments, deficit funding, or loan repayments
  • Grant-making organisations or bodies that fundraise/distribute grants on behalf of others
  • Activities or projects that have already happened
  • Regional offices of national bodies that do not benefit local people
  • Organisations whose beneficiaries are not people
  • Organisations or projects intended to influence religious choices or promote particular belief systems
  • Organisations with overdue monitoring reports with CCF (until submitted)
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Governance and Leadership

Chief Executive: Tamas Haydu (since March 2017) - Joined CCF as Development Director in 2013 following 15 years in sales, marketing and business development

Chair of Trustees: Kim Conchie DL FRSA (appointed November 2024) - Trustee since 2017, Vice-Chair from 2021; succeeded Jane Hartley DL

Notable Trustees:

  • Tom Van Oss - Chairs CCF's Cornwall Club; Trustee and Vice Chair of UK Community Foundations
  • Sophie Hosking - Over 30 years' experience in public sector (25 in Cornwall); Strategic Director at Cornwall Council

The Foundation emphasizes partnership: “Receiving a grant from Cornwall Community Foundation is the beginning of a partnership. We love to tell the stories of the groups we support and the communities they support.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Applications reviewed by CCF grants team
  2. Applications sent to grants panel to read before panel meeting
  3. Grants team presents all applications at panel meeting
  4. Panel makes final decisions
  5. All applicants contacted with outcomes

Decision Timeline

  • Review Process: Applications reviewed by grants team then presented to grants panel
  • Payment Timeline: Successful applicants receive grants within 2 weeks of confirmation; some programmes pay within 10 days of panel decision
  • Variable Timing: Decision timelines vary depending on fund closing date, number of applications received, and date of grant panel

Success Rates

  • Overall Success Rate (2024): 58%
  • Sedel-Collings Foundation: 76% success rate
  • Fund-Specific Variation: Success rates vary significantly by fund
  • Volume: Over 680 grants awarded in 2023; continued high volume in 2024

Reapplication Policy

Previous grant recipients are always welcome to apply again. No restrictions on reapplying after receiving funding. However, organisations with overdue monitoring reports are not eligible to reapply until the report is submitted.

Application Success Factors

Advice from the Funder

  • Check Eligibility First: "You don't want to use up precious time applying for grants you're not eligible for. So if this is your first time applying, take a few minutes to check."
  • Frontline Priority: Priority given to frontline organisations working directly with local people “on the ground”
  • Partnership Mindset: Foundation seeks to build lasting partnerships, not just one-off grants
  • Support Available: Experienced grants team provides support throughout application process; online workshops available

Recently Funded Projects (Examples)

  • Woodford Community Garden: East Langford Solar Farm Fund supported installation providing space for social interaction and physical activity
  • YMCA Cornwall: £5,000 from Charles Reynolds Foundation to build accommodation for vulnerable young people
  • Sailing Programme: £7,200 from Charles Reynolds Fund for children from disadvantaged backgrounds to learn sailing
  • TRELYA “Being Me” Project: £4,464 from Young Minds First fund for emotional wellbeing project reducing negative impact of body image on children
  • Liskerrett Centre: £9,000 from Emergency – Build Back Better Fund to open local produce shop in Liskeard
  • Edward McDonald Trust: £1,000 for emergency help to individuals on Isles of Scilly
  • Youth Mental Health Foundation CiC: Building mental health resilience with year 6s in Launceston

Key Application Elements

  • Clear Community Benefit: Must demonstrate how work benefits people in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
  • Constitutional Requirements: Charitable activities must be reflected in constitution/governing document
  • Local Management: Need constitution, local management committee (minimum 3 unrelated members), and bank account
  • Governance: Can be community group, voluntary organization, CIC, or charity - don't need to be registered charity if activities are charitable
  • Financial Transparency: Recent bank statements required; must show how profits reinvested for community benefit

Language and Terminology

Foundation emphasizes:

  • “Grassroots, front-line, volunteer-led organisations”
  • “Combating disadvantage, exclusion and poverty”
  • “Making a positive impact”
  • “Addressing disadvantage and deprivation”
  • “Supporting the supporters”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Prioritize frontline work: Foundation strongly favors organisations working directly with beneficiaries “on the ground” rather than intermediary or second-tier organisations
  • Utilize available support: Take advantage of grants team support and online workshops - the Foundation has streamlined their process and wants to help you succeed
  • Match to specific funds: Research which of their multiple named funds best fits your project; success rates vary significantly by fund (42% to 76%)
  • Build the relationship: View the application as start of partnership; Foundation wants to tell your story and support you beyond initial grant
  • Complete monitoring reports: Keep monitoring reports up to date as overdue reports block future applications
  • Check eligibility rigorously: With 58% overall success rate, ensure you meet all criteria before investing time in application
  • Demonstrate local impact: Clearly show how your work benefits people in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly with emphasis on addressing disadvantage

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References

All sources.