Trusts and Foundations
NCF offers a cost effective way to increase the scope and impact of your existing giving. We have funded over 3,500 projects totalling £20 million on behalf of our donors and partners - the majority of these projects lie below the public charitable radar and can struggle to find support. It is this knowledge that can reach into local communities and also what we offer to grant making bodies.
We don't just work with dormant and ineffective trusts, but with successful grant making bodies who want to use our expertise to realise their maximum potential.
"The quality of the service has been outstanding, both in terms of background research on organisations, follow-up help and advice to smaller organisations that apply, and in terms of monitoring and evaluation of the projects and programmes. The advice from NCF is always independent, informed and takes account of local and regional issues. I would recommend them unreservedly to any grant-making body"
Roger Garratt - Charity Committee Chair – Nottinghamshire Freemasons
Fund Options
We can support Charitable Trusts as an external consulting and management level, or we can legally transfer the Trust, recreating it as a fund within NCF and taking over the management and administration from here.
Trustees
With a Managed Trust, Trustees retain their positions, keeping as much control over the grantmaking as they wish.
With a Transferred Trust, former Trustees can be appointed as 'advisors.' We take all the legal responsibility for the new fund, but you still have the final say on the direction of the grant making, so you can carry on supporting your favourite charities. Or, if you prefer, these decisions can be handed over to our expert grantmakers who will allocate funds based on your specifications.
How does it work?
We meet with you initially to discuss the focus of your Trust or Foundation, the geographic remit, the size and type of grants you wish to make and the kind of impact you could make.
Your NCF Fund lead designs a programme that is tailored to the objects of your Trust or Foundation, and we use our extensive knowledge of the sector to help shape the strategy and make recommendations on continuing direction.
Once the strategy is decided, we can take care of all the administration and due diligence:
Set up - Devise the application form and guidelines.
Publicity and outreach - Publicise the Fund through our website, local voluntary sector networks, funding fairs and existing database of projects.
Pre-application administration – Handle all queries on your behalf, support applicants if necessary and receive applications.
Sift applications for eligibility and shortlist those for assessment.
Assessment of all shortlisted projects by telephone and write up grant assessment reports. We look at strength of need for the project, breadth and depth of impact, financial health and track record.
Recommendations - We present you with a selection of assessed projections from which you can choose those you wish to support. (This is usually done with a 'panel meeting' where the NCF Programme Manager responsible for your Programme meets with you to discuss the projects).
Informing applicants - NCF notifies all applicants of the results, makes payments to successful organisations and where appropriate refers unsuccessful applicants to other Programmes at the Foundation.
Monitoring and reporting - We monitor grant expenditure and keep you informed via an annual report on your Programme.
Other benefits – deprivation mapping to ensure your grants are going to the most deprived areas, site visits, invitations to Foundation Events, our annual report and quarterly e-bulletins.