Press Release from Essex Community Foundation

“An independent charitable trust, awarding grants totalling £1.5 million each year, is inviting voluntary and community groups in Essex to come forward and apply for funds to help with their work.

Essex Community Foundation (ECF), which is based in Chelmsford and covers the whole of the county, including the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock, manages 100 charitable funds on behalf of a wide range of donors, including individuals and companies and has a rolling programme of distributing money to local voluntary organisations with the aim of improving life for people in their communities.

Now ECF, which celebrated its work at two recent Spring receptions held at Ingatestone Hall, the home of the Foundation’s Patron, Lord Petre, and Layer Marney Tower, is urging more voluntary groups and charities to make applications for grants to strengthen their work and make more of an impact in Essex.

Caroline Taylor, programmes director for ECF said:

“Grants are available for most aspects of voluntary and charity work including capital projects, equipment and running costs. We are very interested in hearing from new organisations involved in the community and equally we are happy to revisit organisations which may have had funds from ECF in the past.

“The grants awarded average at around £3,500 but larger amounts can be allocated. We are always pleased to talk to any organisation in Essex which is looking for funding and we want to emphasise that the application process is very easy.

“People or companies establish charitable funds with us to help them effectively channel their charitable giving locally and effectively. A charitable fund is often named after the family or company that established it and some have differing criteria or cover a specific area. Because we now manage 100 named funds, we can support a wide range of charitable activity across the whole county. We welcome all kinds of applications from organisations and also from individuals.

If anyone is thinking of applying we can talk to them on the phone in the first instance, or people can visit our website and contact us by e mail. “Grants are available throughout the year and typically ECF awards around £1.5 million annually.
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“Our aim is to support organisations working at a local level. Many won’t have a professional fundraiser and some rely on volunteers. We really want to put across the message that we are here for such organisations, there is money available and that making an application for a grant from ECF is an extremely simple process.”

Essex Community Foundation is one of the leading community foundations in the country and since it was set up in 1996 it has distributed grants totalling £21 million to voluntary and community groups in Essex.”

For more details visit www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk

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