Lincolnshire Community Foundation

What Lincolnshire Community Foundation does

Lincolnshire Community Foundation is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1196448) operating as Greater Lincolnshire's independent community foundation since 2002. Headquartered in Sleaford with 1-10 employees, it functions as an intermediary grantmaker that connects donors, businesses, and government funding streams with local charities, community groups, and individuals in need across the region. Since inception it has awarded over £25 million in grants through programmes including the Household Support Fund, UKSPF GRASSroots, Michael Cornish Core Grants, Oil Support Scheme, Make-A-Start, and Thonock Aspiration Fund for Schools, alongside renewable-energy community benefit funds linked to Sutton Bridge Solar, Bicker Wind, and Grange Wind Farm.

The foundation's most distinctive operational asset is the Lincolnshire Visual Intelligence System (LVIS), a freely accessible data visualisation tool that maps deprivation across Greater Lincolnshire down to street level and by theme. Originally prototyped by data researcher Aaron Bailey, LVIS is now maintained in-house and is used to direct grant targeting and to support external stakeholders. Beyond traditional grantmaking, the foundation co-runs the Gainsborough Local Access Programme (GLAP), a national pilot funded by Big Society Capital and Access that tests place-based enterprise development with social investment.

Commercially, LCF is a non-profit and therefore has no priced products; revenue is derived from donations, endowment income, and — predominantly — pass-through restricted funds from government (Household Support Fund, UKSPF) and corporate partners (renewable-energy operators, SWEF). It is governed by a board of trustees chaired by Paul Scott and led by CEO Sue Fortune (appointed 2019), holds UKCF Accreditation (2026), and is a Living Wage employer and Fundraising Regulator member.

Name

Lincolnshire Community Foundation

Legal name

Lincolnshire Community Foundation

Website

https://lincolnshirecf.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lincolnshire Community Foundation is a UK-registered charity and independent community foundation serving Greater Lincolnshire. It distributes grants from donors, government, and corporate partners to local charities, community groups, and individuals, while operating the LVIS deprivation-mapping data tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Grantmaking and Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community grantmaking
• Charitable foundation services
• Community grants distribution
• Social investment funds
• Regional endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Sleaford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Making and Fund Distribution: As a community foundation, LCF connects donors with community causes, building long-term endowments and distributing grants. They manage various funds including the Household Support Fund, UKSPF GRASSroots Grant Scheme, community energy funds, and individual-based grant schemes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lincolnshire Community Foundation is an independent grantmaking charity that connects donors, businesses and government with community causes across Greater Lincolnshire. It administers multiple grant programmes (including the Household Support Fund, UKSPF GRASSroots Grant Scheme, Oil Support Scheme, Crisis and Resilience Fund, Michael Cornish Core Grants, MAST Fund and Thonock Aspiration Fund for Schools), builds long-term endowments, and provides the Lincolnshire Visual Intelligence System (LVIS), a freely accessible data tool for identifying local deprivation.

Product overview

Lincolnshire Community Foundation operates as a grantmaking organisation rather than a traditional technology company. Its core offering consists of grant distribution programmes and fund management services, including the Oil Support Scheme, Crisis and Resilience Fund, Household Support Fund, and various community grant schemes. The Foundation also maintains the Lincolnshire Visual Intelligence System (LVIS), a data visualisation tool for identifying deprivation across Greater Lincolnshire. The organisation manages multiple restricted and unrestricted funds targeting health and wellbeing, community development, and social cohesion outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lincolnshire Visual Intelligence System (LVIS) A freely accessible data visualization tool designed to identify potential pockets of deprivation across Greater Lincolnshire, down to street level and by theme. Built and maintained by Aaron Bailey, it supports evidence-based grant deployment by the Foundation and is offered as a free public resource.
• Oil Support Scheme Grant scheme providing additional energy support for heating oil costs to eligible households in Greater Lincolnshire.
• Crisis and Resilience Fund: Heating Oil Support Schemes Emergency funding scheme for heating oil support delivered by the Foundation to vulnerable households.
• Make-A-Start (MAST) Fund Small grants for personal development, overseen by the Foundation's Make-a-Start programme and delivered to individuals.
• Household Support Fund Government-funded scheme administered by the Foundation to support households experiencing financial hardship.
• UKSPF GRASSroots Grant Scheme Grant programme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for community projects in Greater Lincolnshire.
• Michael Cornish Core Grants Programme Core grants programme supporting communities across Greater Lincolnshire.
• Thonock Aspiration Fund for Schools (TAFS) Fund managed by the Foundation to help children participate in extracurricular activities, available to schools in Gainsborough and surrounding areas.
• GLAP (Gainsborough Local Access Programme) National pilot programme managed by the Foundation and funded by Big Society Capital and Access, testing place-based enterprise development alongside local access to social investment in Gainsborough.
• Community Benefit Funds (Sutton Bridge Solar, Bicker Wind Farm, Grange Wind Farm) Renewable energy community benefit funds administered by the Foundation, offering grants up to £5,000–£10,000 to not-for-profit groups and social enterprises within defined geographic radii of the respective energy installations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £25 million awarded in grants since 2002
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• SWEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with SWEF to provide two different business grants to young entrepreneurs aged 18-30 across Greater Lincolnshire, working together on the Business Grants programme.
• UK Community Foundations (UKCF)coreOthersUKCF is the national body for community foundations in the UK. LCF holds UKCF accreditation and is a member of this network.
• Lincolnshire Financial Inclusion PartnershipmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership network addressing financial inclusion across Lincolnshire, working collaboratively on shared objectives.
• Human First Responsible AI PledgeminorOthersSignatory to the Human First Responsible AI Pledge, demonstrating commitment to responsible AI practices.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Locality: National UK network supporting community organisations with advice, resources, and development. Operates adjacent to LCF's community development remit, with overlapping beneficiary populations but a different operational focus.

Others

• Big Society Capital: UK's leading social investment institution, a direct funding partner of LCF on the GLAP programme. Comparable as a counterpart rather than a competitor—an enabler/funder in the same social investment ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Cumbria Community Foundation: UKCF-accredited community foundation that distributes grants and manages endowed funds across Cumbria. Comparable size, scope, and product set to LCF.
• Norfolk Community Foundation: UKCF-accredited community foundation serving Norfolk with grantmaking, donor funds, and community benefit programmes. A direct regional peer with comparable structure, accreditation, and operating model to LCF.
• Devon Community Foundation: UKCF-accredited community foundation for Devon, providing grants, training, and donor services to local groups. Direct peer operating in the same regional community foundation space as LCF.
• County Durham Community Foundation: UKCF-accredited community foundation distributing grants and managing donor funds for County Durham. Direct peer with similar grant programmes, donor stewardship, and community focus.
• Heart of England Community Foundation: UKCF-accredited community foundation covering the West Midlands and Warwickshire, distributing grants, managing endowments, and partnering with corporates. Comparable structure and operating model.
• Somerset Community Foundation: UKCF-accredited community foundation serving Somerset with grant schemes, endowment management, and community development programmes. Direct regional peer with nearly identical operating model and product mix to LCF.

Broad incumbents

• The National Lottery Community Fund: One of the UK's largest grantmakers, distributing Lottery funds to community projects across the UK. A much larger incumbent operating in the same community grantmaking space with overlapping funder relationships.
• UK Community Foundations (UKCF): UKCF is the national membership body for the UK's community foundation network and accredits member foundations including LCF. It is the umbrella and standards body for LCF's broad category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lincscf
• Facebookfacebook.com/lincscf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lincolnshire-community-foundation
• Xx.com/LincolnshireCF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lincolnshire Community Foundation