Oxfordshire Community Foundation

Charity Number: 1151621

Annual Expenditure: £1.9M
Geographic Focus: Oxfordshire

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1.9 million (2023-24)
  • Success Rate: Data not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Varies by programme
  • Grant Range: £1,000 - £75,000 (depending on programme)
  • Geographic Focus: Oxfordshire

Contact Details

  • Website: www.oxfordshire.org
  • Email: ocf@oxfordshire.org (general); grants@oxfordshire.org (grants team)
  • Phone: 01865 798666 or 07927 539699
  • WhatsApp: 07927 539699
  • Pre-application support: Online and in-person drop-in sessions available for applicants

Overview

Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) has been building thriving communities through effective philanthropy since 1995. As a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity number 1151621), OCF distributed £1.9 million to around 200 charitable organisations in Oxfordshire and beyond in the year to March 2024. The foundation combats homelessness, educational inequality, loneliness and isolation by investing in Oxfordshire's dynamic charitable sector. OCF works with donors, fundholders, and partners to channel philanthropy effectively, generally focusing on small, local charities and community organisations with income up to £1 million (with priority to those up to £0.5 million). Under the leadership of CEO Zoe Sprigings since 2022, the foundation continues to find local solutions to national problems including homelessness, educational disadvantage, inequality and loneliness.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

  • Community Capacity Fund: £5,000 - £20,000 (grants from Oxfordshire County Council partnership to support vulnerable adults and those experiencing inequality to live independently and healthily in their communities; regular rounds throughout the year)
  • Step Change Fund: Up to £75,000, capped at 30% of annual income (for organisations with income £100,000-£1 million seeking transformational growth; fixed application rounds)
  • Thriving in Nature Fund: Multi-year grants (e.g. £59,612 over three years to The Long Mead Foundation; helps people prosper by engaging with green spaces and rural environment; fixed rounds)
  • Ann Rylands Small Donations: Up to £5,000 (supports charities' core costs for health and care provision, particularly for older people, people with disabilities or serious illness, palliative and end of life care, or mental health and social exclusion challenges; rolling basis)
  • Living Essentials Fund: Various amounts (supports organisations helping with homelessness, food insecurity, warmth, and debt advice; fixed rounds, typically winter)

Priority Areas

  • Health and wellbeing, particularly for vulnerable populations
  • Combating homelessness and social exclusion
  • Reducing loneliness and isolation
  • Educational equality
  • Community resilience and independence
  • Nature and environment initiatives
  • Supporting people to live well in their communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Contributions to general appeals
  • Activities primarily benefiting religion
  • Public body statutory obligations
  • Animal welfare
  • Activities that have already occurred
  • Grant-making by other organisations
  • Applications from for-profit companies or partnerships
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Governance and Leadership

CEO: Zoe Sprigings (since 2022) - Previously Director of Business Planning and Reporting at C40 Cities, a global charity supporting 100 major cities worldwide to take climate action.

President: Marjorie (appointed 2023) - Lord-Lieutenant since 2021, Stanford University graduate, and founder/CEO of an Oxfordshire-based clean energy company.

Key Trustees include:

  • Maddy - Director of ImpactEd Philanthropy, trustee of Boxing Futures charity
  • Neil - Marketing consultant, previously Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Nielsen
  • Tim - Experienced family lawyer and mediator at Mills and Reeve
  • Ian - Former civil servant and Deloitte Partner
  • Monawar - Muslim Tutor at Eton College, Associate Director at LMI-UK, Founder of The Oxford Foundation

The Board of trustees has ultimate collective responsibility for all grant-making decisions in line with the Foundation's charitable purposes and any restrictions agreed with donors and funding partners.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Charitable groups can apply to one of OCF's regular grants rounds through their online application system. OCF provides as much notice as possible about upcoming grants rounds. Each programme has specific application windows:

  • Applications are submitted online through their website
  • Drop-in sessions (online and in-person) available to answer specific questions
  • Contact the grants team for support: grants@oxfordshire.org, 01865 798666, 07927 539699, or WhatsApp 07927 539699

Decision Timeline

Varies by programme. For example:

  • Community Capacity Fund: Applications open for approximately one month (e.g., September 12 to October 15), with grants awarded and paid within months
  • Decisions made through a structured process: allocation to available funds → staff assessment → review by fund advisor/Board/delegated panel → ratification → notification

Success Rates

Specific success rate data is not publicly available. In 2023-24, OCF distributed £1.9 million to around 200 charitable organisations.

Reapplication Policy

Organisations receiving their first grant from OCF must submit satisfactory monitoring before further applications will be accepted. OCF will not accept applications where monitoring on previous awards is overdue. Feedback is offered to unsuccessful applicants. No specific waiting period for unsuccessful applicants is mentioned, but groups who received two-year Community Capacity funding in 2024 cannot apply for subsequent rounds until that period ends.

Application Success Factors

Direct Advice from OCF (Grant Top Tips):

Check eligibility first: "The most common reason for rejection is that the application is not suitable for the round. Look at the criteria and any priority outcomes for a particular programme, fund or round. Don't try to shoehorn your project into a round that it doesn't fit."

Writing style: "Choose a title for the project that is accessible and self-explanatory. Get straight to the point without waffling. Assume we know nothing at all about your organisation or sector (don't use jargon or acronyms). Get someone to proofread before you submit and check it against the criteria."

Demonstrate impact: "Show how your work addresses disadvantage, bringing in human stories or stats where possible. Demonstrate how your work will make a tangible improvement to people's lives. Give expected outcomes not outputs – for example, 'We will spend £500 on food for the poor' is an output, while '20 poor people will be fed for a week' is an outcome. Be realistic with your outcomes."

Be transparent: “The more information you openly give, the easier it is to assess. Tell them about other funding or the full extent of funding needed; what will happen when their funding runs out, and whether your project can go ahead if they only provide part funding.”

Get support and submit early: "Don't struggle on alone – they're available by email or phone to give focused answers to tricky questions or help with practicalities. Applications that come early in the round will find their way to an assessor who is less stressed than those that come at the end."

Documentation: “Have accounts, constitution, reserves, governance, and policies ready to be attached to any application. Make sure your documents make sense and are up to date.”

References: "Remind your referee to respond in time for your application to meet the deadline, as a missing reference delays scoring in the initial assessment, therefore jeopardising your chances. If they don't receive one at all, they will withdraw your application."

Recent Funded Projects (2024):

  • Oxfordshire Homeless Movement (£1,000) - ensuring no-one sleeps rough
  • Alzheimer's Society Oxfordshire (£1,000) - supporting individuals affected by dementia
  • The Metta Centre for Trauma Therapy (£20,000) - trauma therapy services
  • The Long Mead Foundation (£59,612 over 3 years) - conservation and biodiversity of floodplain meadows
  • 24 organisations received Community Capacity grants (£347,000 total) for antenatal groups, healthy cooking classes, reducing loneliness and isolation

Key Success Factors:

  • Alignment with priority outcomes for the specific fund
  • Focus on addressing disadvantage and improving lives
  • Clear, measurable outcomes (not just outputs)
  • Strong safeguarding policies and procedures
  • Organisational governance structure (governing document, 3+ unrelated governing body members, bank account with 2+ signatories)
  • Transparency about other funding and sustainability plans
  • Well-prepared documentation
  • Timely submission with all required elements, including references

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Match the right programme: OCF runs multiple programmes with different criteria - ensure your project genuinely fits before applying, as misalignment is the most common reason for rejection
  • Focus on outcomes over outputs: Demonstrate tangible improvements to people's lives with realistic, measurable outcomes
  • Prioritise small organisations: OCF particularly supports groups with income up to £500,000, with broader eligibility up to £1 million
  • Show how you address disadvantage: Use human stories and statistics to demonstrate how your work tackles inequality, exclusion, or vulnerability
  • Prepare thoroughly: Have all governance documents, policies (especially safeguarding), and accounts ready and up-to-date before applying
  • Seek pre-application support: Take advantage of drop-in sessions and contact the grants team early with questions - they want to help
  • Submit early: Applications submitted early in the round receive less stressed assessors and better attention to detail
  • Be transparent about funding: Openly share other funding sources, total project costs, and sustainability plans - transparency aids assessment
  • Complete monitoring requirements: First-time grantees must submit satisfactory monitoring before being eligible for future grants
  • Write clearly and accessibly: Avoid jargon, explain your organisation and sector clearly, and use a self-explanatory project title

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References