Cumbria Community Foundation

Charity Number: 1075120

Annual Expenditure: £6.8M
Geographic Focus: Cumbria

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £6.8 million (2023-24)
  • Total Distributed Since 1999: Over £60 million
  • Decision Time: Varies by fund; applicants notified within 5 working days of committee decision
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £75,000 (varies by fund)
  • Geographic Focus: Cumbria
  • Number of Funds: 121+ grant-making funds
  • Success Rate: 811 successful applications from grants awarded in 2022-23

Contact Details

Website: www.cumbriafoundation.org

Email: enquiries@cumbriafoundation.org

Phone: 01900 825760

Grants Team Email: grants@cumbriafoundation.org

Pre-Application Support: The Foundation encourages applicants to speak with grants officers before submitting applications to ensure the process goes smoothly.

Overview

Founded in 1999, Cumbria Community Foundation is one of the UK's leading accredited community foundations, dedicated to meeting needs in local communities by supporting charities and community organisations across Cumbria. With endowed funds standing at £30 million and annual grant-making of £6.8 million (2023-24), the Foundation has distributed over £60 million to more than 4,000 community projects since inception, supporting over 3,400 groups and 7,400 individuals.

Led by CEO Andy Beeforth OBE DL, who joined as the first employee in 1999, the Foundation manages more than 121 grant-making funds and supports approximately 500 community projects annually. The Foundation spends the equivalent of £11 per person in Cumbria, the highest per-capita rate among UK community foundations. In 2024, the Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary and was shortlisted for the Charity Awards in the Grantmaking & Funding category for its innovative Transforming West Cumbria programme, which has generated £19.9 million in social value since 2020.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Cumbria Fund

  • Grants normally up to £10,000 over one year
  • Multi-year funding may be awarded for certain projects
  • Application method: Online application portal
  • Rolling deadlines - check website for current dates

Better Tomorrows Fund

  • £25,000 per year for up to 3 years (maximum £75,000 total)
  • Focus: Quality youth work training and provision
  • Provides accredited training and grants for organisations setting up new youth work opportunities
  • Has trained 50+ accredited youth workers, funded 50+ youth work roles, supporting 5,000+ young people

Cumbria Young People's Fund

  • Individuals: £1,000 - £2,000 over one year
  • Groups: Up to £10,000 per year
  • Focus: Supporting young people aged 14-22

Community Benefit Funds

  • Various wind farm and corporate community benefit funds
  • Amounts and criteria vary by specific fund

Priority Areas

Theme 1: Improving Lives

  • Building confidence, providing training, and creating career opportunities
  • Improving health, wellbeing, and mental health services
  • Accessibility and inclusion programmes
  • Tackling social inequality through equity-focused initiatives
  • Crisis recovery efforts

Theme 2: Strengthening Communities

  • Creating stronger, more inclusive communities
  • Community hubs and gathering spaces
  • Digital inclusion projects
  • Fostering belonging and safety
  • Community-led climate action

Cross-Cutting Priorities

  • Children and young people
  • Older people and their carers
  • People with disabilities
  • Unemployed and people on low incomes
  • Rural isolation
  • Tackling poverty and disadvantage

What They Don't Fund

General Exclusions (apply across most funds):

  • Advancement of religion (including buildings solely for religious purposes, except where donor-advised)

Fund-Specific Exclusions (examples):

  • School trips (Cumbria Young People's Fund)
  • Gardens, fences, and garden furniture/equipment
  • Vehicles
  • Businesses
  • Artists in residence (some funds)
  • Activities exclusively for school children (some cultural funds)
  • Anti-renewable energy projects (wind farm benefit funds)

Note: Each fund has specific exclusions - consult individual fund guidance for complete details.

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Governance and Leadership

Current Chair

Myles Thompson (Great Salkeld, near Penrith) - Appointed 2024/25, succeeding David Beeby DL who served nine years. Former chartered accountant and audit partner with KPMG, trustee of Lake District Calvert Trust, member of Carlisle Cathedral finance committee.

Chief Executive

Andy Beeforth OBE DL - Joined as the Foundation's first employee in September 1999 and has led the organisation for over 25 years. Made an OBE for services to the voluntary sector in 2010. Beeforth stated: "Promoting philanthropy and engaging donors with many of Cumbria's inspirational volunteers and groups is what motivates him most."

On David Beeby's tenure as Chair, Beeforth said: “We are all extremely grateful to David for his passion, wisdom, commitment and generosity in the role of Chair. David saw firsthand that young people in our communities were facing unprecedented challenges and set out to do something about it, creating the life-changing Better Tomorrows programme.”

Board of Trustees

  • Patrick Boggon
  • Lucy Cavendish
  • Steve Harnwell
  • Sue Howorth
  • Jim Johnson
  • Alison Johnston – Honorary Treasurer
  • Tony Keen – Furness Grants Committee Chair
  • Glenys Marriott
  • Jim Perks CBE
  • Marcia Reid Fotheringham, JP DL
  • Chris Sanderson, OBE JP DL
  • Alex Scott
  • Georgina Smith
  • Rachael Stephenson
  • Kevin Walsh BEM – Main Grants Committee Chair and Trustees' Vice Chair
  • Emma Williamson
  • John Wilson

Ambassadors

  • The Lord (Melvyn) Bragg of Wigton DL
  • Sir James Cropper KCVO
  • Mrs Claire Hensman CVO DL
  • Mr Peter Hensman OBE DL
  • The Lord (Richard) Inglewood DL, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cumbria

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Pre-Application Contact: The Foundation encourages applicants to speak with grants officers before submitting (01900 825760) to ensure smooth processing.
  • Work must be legally charitable (but don't need to be a registered charity)
  • Operating within Cumbria with registered address and/or local management committee/Board in Cumbria
  • Volunteer-led organisations must have minimum 3 unrelated management committee members
  • Safeguarding policy required (must be up-to-date and relevant)
  • Ideally, CCF grants should not exceed 50% of organisation's income
  • If successful with 3+ applications in last 12 months, must speak to Grants Officer before applying
  • Note: Cannot use Internet Explorer or Safari on iPad/iPhone (text will be lost)
  • Submit with required supporting documents
  1. Assessment: Grants and Donor Services team assesses applications according to fund criteria and grant-making priorities. Staff may visit or telephone for additional information.
  1. Committee Review: Eligible applications presented to grants committees comprising people with expertise in community issues.

Decision Timeline

  • Acknowledgment: Within 5 working days of receipt
  • Committee Review: Applications presented to grants committees
  • Notification: Within 5 working days after committee decision
  • Overall Timeline: Varies by fund; check specific deadlines before applying

Success Rates

In 2022-23:

  • 811 successful applications awarded
  • 121 funds made grants
  • 18 new funds established
  • 61 applications received multi-year funding
  • Grant range: Smallest £81, largest £310,357

The Foundation notes they cannot fund all applications received, and even worthwhile proposals may not receive grants if there isn't a suitable fund or sufficient funding available.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applications are not publicly detailed. Contact the grants team directly (01900 825760 or grants@cumbriafoundation.org) for guidance on reapplying after an unsuccessful application.

Application Success Factors

Evidence of Need and Community Support

“Projects should demonstrate significant evidence of need and community consultation/support.” Evidence of community support is critical to applications.

Talk to Grants Officers First

The Foundation strongly encourages applicants to contact grants officers before applying. This pre-application dialogue helps ensure applications are appropriate and complete.

Committee Assessment Criteria

The Foundation looks for:

  • Good quality proposal with strong social purpose
  • Evidence that the applicant is the right organisation to deliver the project
  • Innovation or replication of good practice
  • Effective partnership working
  • Potential for financial viability/sustainability

Strategic Alignment

Applications should clearly align with the Foundation's two themes:

  • Improving Lives: Focus on confidence, training, careers, health, mental wellbeing, inclusion
  • Strengthening Communities: Emphasize connection, safety, belonging, digital inclusion

Recent Funded Projects Examples

Successful applications have included:

  • Advisory services on tackling debt and benefit entitlement
  • Youth mentoring and skills development programmes
  • Community mental health drop-in sessions
  • Language classes for refugees and asylum seekers
  • Digital access support in rural communities
  • Community-led climate action workshops
  • Social craft groups combating rural isolation
  • Youth arts programs (Kendal Windows on Art)
  • Neighbourhood Care Independence Programme (NCIP) - 33 organisations supporting older people's independence

Organizational Capacity

The Foundation particularly welcomes applications from grassroots community groups and small-to-medium-sized voluntary organisations, not just registered charities.

Multi-Year Considerations

Multi-year funding is available for certain programmes. In 2022-23, 61 applications received multi-year support, indicating willingness to invest in longer-term impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Pre-application engagement is crucial: Contact grants officers (01900 825760) before submitting to maximize success - the Foundation explicitly encourages this dialogue.
  1. Evidence matters: Demonstrate clear community need and community consultation/support. This is described as “critical to applications.”
  1. You don't need charity status: The Foundation is “particularly keen to help grassroots community groups” - work must be charitable but registration isn't required.
  1. Choose the right fund: With 121+ funds managed, ensure you're applying to the most appropriate one. Grants officers can guide this decision.
  1. Think multi-year for sustainability: The Foundation awards multi-year funding (up to 3 years for some programmes like Better Tomorrows), so articulate long-term impact and sustainability plans.
  1. Align with current priorities: Frame your project using the Foundation's language around “Improving Lives” and “Strengthening Communities” - show how you address their specific focus areas.
  1. Partnership amplifies impact: Applications demonstrating effective partnership working are favored - show collaborative approaches rather than working in isolation.

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