About us
We inspire people to give, help Welsh communities to thrive and change lives together.
For 25 years, Community Foundation Wales has been supporting charities and community groups with funding to strengthen our communities across Wales.
This is important because, as Wales is one of the poorest countries in Europe, our community groups meet very real needs while also struggling to survive.
There are over 42,000 community groups and charities in Wales working to improve and develop their communities, using their initiative to meet local needs. These groups and charities understand the challenges faced by people in their community and know how best to confront them.
This vital work is often carried out on a shoestring budget or voluntary basis: so we focus on finding these fantastic projects and organisations, understanding what they are trying to accomplish and supporting them to have a real and positive impact.
At the same time, Wales is a country of inspirational people with great ideas to improve their local communities – and donors who are motivated to help.
Working with our generous supporters and partners, we find and fund those very local projects that help strengthen communities across Wales.
Our partnerships help us to gain a stronger understanding of community needs which, in turn, helps us to shape funds and advise our donors to ensure effective and efficient giving.
We capture and share our learning from our philanthropic work and our grantmaking to inform our continuous development and to influence those in a position to do so on how they can make a difference.
We have an office in St Andrew’s Crescent in Cardiff and work throughout Wales, including holding our board meetings and events around the country.
What we do
We strengthen communities in Wales by generating funding for small grants - the kind of grants that make the world of difference.
We generate new charitable income through partnerships with individuals and businesses and have our eye on long-term impact.
We are building an endowment fund for future generations in Wales, that will keep growing and providing future grants for communities and their future needs.
This uniquely positions us as a partnership builder looking at long-term strengthening of communities in Wales.
We are trusted experts and our Philanthropy team offers a bespoke service. It carries out research, provides advice on deprivation issues and needs, conducts due diligence, reports on impact and outcomes, and engages donors in philanthropy at the level that they choose.
Our partners are varied and include Welsh Government, Principality Building Society, Newsquest Media, Castle Diaries, Gwent High Sheriff, NatWest Cymru, Moondance Foundation, Wales in London, the Charity Commission and local authorities across Wales.
We manage some 60 grant programmes every year, covering all of Wales. Many are focused on young people and education and almost all have some focus on building cohesion and confidence in communities.
Our Vision
We want a Wales with strong, active communities.
We will strengthen communities in Wales by encouraging generosity and charitable giving.
We change lives together.
Testimonials
“I became aware of the work of Community Foundation Wales (CFW) through my involvement in the Homeless World Cup. Since then, I have learnt of the vital work they do to support grassroots organisations who might otherwise struggle to access funding.
“There is no organisation like CFW, that is why I became a Friend. They work tirelessly to provide much-needed funding for communities and organisations throughout Wales but also provide fund holders, like myself, with the mechanism to distribute funding to the causes and projects that are close to our hearts.”
Michael Sheen, Actor
“Castle Dairies wants to help support those young adults who despite significant hurdles choose to progress into higher education.
“We are proud to be working with Community Foundation Wales to provide financial assistance to those who qualify and help assist them through their further education.
“We hope other private companies in Wales will be inspired to work with Community Foundation Wales and invest in Welsh communities.”
Nigel Lloyd, Managing Director, Castle Dairies
“I’m passionate about kindness and community and so I LOVE what Community Foundation Wales does: they do a fantastic job of helping businesses give back effectively and in the way they want by matching them with the right community causes for them. It’s simple, genius and changes people’s lives.
“I am learning a lot from a diverse group of people whom I would never have otherwise worked with. From all parts of Wales, with lots of different life and professional experiences, everyone brings valuable perspectives that keep me learning.”
Annabel Lloyd, Trustee, Community Foundation Wales
“We are delighted to be working in collaboration on a Fund that will help support young people right across Wales.
“The Community Foundation Wales team have a real passion for helping community organisations, a great track record of delivery over many years and are held in such high regard for the work they do. It really is a pleasure to be working with them and we are very grateful for the expertise provided.”
James Harper, Social Impact Manager, Principality Building Society
“Mudiad Meithrin has been working with the Community Foundation Wales since 2018. We set up an agency fund within the Foundation, which is where we placed a significant allocation of our organisation’s charitable reserves, protecting the original asset value and growing the fund through investments. We chose to partner with CFW because we felt a strong affiliation to their values, and their connection to Welsh communities nationwide.
“The agency fund model hopefully allows us to ensure that Mudiad Meithrin will continue to exist for generations to come. Investing through an agency fund has also given us the opportunity to support the work of CFW. Fees from agency funds are immediately reinvested back into Welsh communities, enabling the Foundation to become stronger and better able to support those that are most in need during this time of economic uncertainty.”
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Mudiad Meithrin