community foundation for surrey

What community foundation for surrey does

Community Foundation for Surrey (CFSurrey) is a UK-registered charity (No. 1111600) and private limited company (No. 5442921) founded in 2005 and headquartered in Woking. It is a place-based philanthropic intermediary that connects Surrey-resident donors with local charitable causes, operating a family of 85+ endowed, flowing and corporate funds through three annual Main Grants rounds, rolling Area Fund small grants (up to £2,500), and a portfolio of thematic programmes covering mental health, heritage, creative wellbeing, supported employment and crisis response. It serves two principal customer groups: grant applicants (registered charities, community groups, CICs, CASCs and individuals with disabilities or mental ill health across Surrey's 11 boroughs and districts) and donors (high-net-worth individuals and families, corporates such as Shepperton Studios and Sandown Park Racecourse, charitable trusts, and public-sector partners including Surrey County Council, NHS Surrey Heartlands, Guildford Borough Council and Spelthorne Borough Council).

The foundation's core products are grant programmes and supporting services rather than technology products. They include the Main Grants Programme, Funder Plus (skills-based volunteering), Professional Advisor Services (donor-advised funds, legacy planning, trust transfers), Trusts & Foundations Management, Corporate Giving and the Surrey Community Investors Club. Digital infrastructure is limited but expanding: the October 2025 Surrey Neighbourhood Needs Map draws on 1,000+ datasets at LSOA level to guide funding decisions, and the May 2026 launch of Plinth will introduce a simplified online grant application system. There is no proprietary software platform, no API surface, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no mobile application.

The revenue model is donation-based across five streams: individual & family donations, corporate giving, trusts & foundations, legacy/in-memory giving and Area Funds. The foundation has distributed over £26.7 million across 6,100+ projects since inception, with £2.8 million awarded in FY 2024–25 and a permanent endowment exceeding £15 million providing long-term sustainability. The go-to-market is a hybrid of digital marketing (website, email bulletins, social), community engagement (online Q&A sessions, professional advisor referral network, local volunteer Area Fund panels) and direct relationship management. UKCF Quality Accreditation (sixth round, 2025), the 20th anniversary in September 2025, and the award of an MBE to Chair Neelam Devesher indicate an organization at scale and recognized standing within the UK community foundation network.

Name

community foundation for surrey

Legal name

Community Foundation for Surrey

Website

https://cfsurrey.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Community Foundation for Surrey is a Woking-based UK charity founded in 2005 that connects Surrey donors with local causes through 85+ grant-making funds, awarding £2.8 million in FY 2024-25 and stewarding a £15 million permanent endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Grant-Making Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

Keywords

• Community foundation grants
• Philanthropic fund management
• Charitable grant making
• Donor advised funds
• Local community funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Woking

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual & Family Donations: Accepts donations from individuals and families who wish to support local charitable causes in Surrey. Donors can set up individual funds, contribute to existing funds, or join pooled funds supporting specific areas or themes.
2. Corporate Giving: Offers corporate funds for businesses wishing to give through their business, including the Surrey Community Investors Club for companies wanting to directly support the foundation's work.
3. Trusts & Foundations: Partners with charitable trusts and foundations to distribute funds in Surrey. Also supports trustees of existing trusts by assisting with management or taking over responsibility for the trust.
4. Legacy & In Memory Giving: Receives legacy gifts and in-memory donations through wills, allowing donors to leave lasting gifts to support local causes.
5. Area Funds: Collective funds accepting donations from individuals, families, and local businesses within specific boroughs, managed by volunteer panels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Foundation for Surrey is a place-based philanthropic grant-making organisation that connects local donors (individuals, families, corporates, and trusts) with charities, community groups, and individuals in need across the 11 boroughs of Surrey. It operates 85+ funds awarding grants via three annual Main Grants Programme rounds, rolling Area Fund small grants, themed funds, and individual grant programmes, supported by a volunteer panel structure and Funder Plus skills volunteering.

Product overview

Community Foundation for Surrey operates as a philanthropic grant-making organisation rather than a technology product. The organisation offers a portfolio of grant programmes and services centred around its Main Grants Programme, which distributes funding across three application rounds per year through 85+ funds. Core offerings include Area Funds (local funds like Guildford Philanthropy, Spelthorne Community Fund managed by volunteer panels), thematic funds (Mental Health Scale-Up Fund, Heritage For All Fund, Creative Wellbeing, Clearer Care, Strategic Transformation Programme), crisis and individual grant programmes, and corporate/professional advisor services for philanthropy. The organisation also provides the Funder Plus skilled volunteering programme and the Neighbourhood Needs Map analytical tool. The portfolio functions as interconnected grant programmes under unified governance rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guildford Philanthropy: Area fund established in 2014 to tackle community inequality across Guildford Borough by providing grants to support education, employment, carers, skills and social enterprise.
• Woking Community Fund
• Spelthorne Community Fund
• Epsom & Ewell Community Fund
• Mental Health Scale-Up Fund
• Heritage For All Fund

Products and services

• Main Grants Programme Primary grant funding programme awarding grants to Surrey charities, community groups, and VCSE sector organisations across three regular annual application rounds. Applicants submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), which is reviewed against the criteria of the 85+ funds; successful EOIs are invited to submit a full application.
• Funder Plus Skills-based volunteering programme that matches volunteers with business skills to grassroots charities and community organisations needing help with short-term skills projects.
• Heritage For All Fund Thematic fund created with Surrey Cultural Partnership and The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarding grants up to £10,000 to widen access to Surrey's heritage for smaller community organisations.
• Mental Health Scale-Up Fund Collective fund supporting projects for young people's mental health in Surrey, jointly funded by private donors, Surrey County Council, and NHS Surrey Heartlands.
• Area Funds Collective funds managed by local volunteer panels across Surrey boroughs, including Elmbridge Philanthropy, Guildford Philanthropy, Spelthorne Community Fund, Woking Community Fund, and Epsom & Ewell Community Fund, awarding small grants with rapid turnaround.
• Crisis Funding Rolling programme supporting charitable organisations with urgent cash flow needs to bridge funding gaps and develop sustainability.
• Grants for Individuals Rolling programmes awarding grants to individuals including Surrey Care Leavers Fund, Surrey Young People's Fund, Surrey Supported Employment Fund, and Elder Companionship Fund.
• Creative Wellbeing Programme partnered with Surrey Cultural Partnership centred on music, arts, and culture to improve health and wellbeing in people of all ages.
• Clearer Care Surrey-wide health literacy pilot programme helping organisations make health information, services, and communication clearer, more accessible, and inclusive.
• Strategic Transformation Programme Programme supporting local voluntary and community organisations in Surrey to become more financially resilient.
• Corporate Giving Service helping Surrey businesses achieve Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives by connecting them with local community through collective funds, corporate funds, or Surrey Community Investors Club membership.
• Professional Advisors Services Philanthropy advisory services for private clients including personalised fund setup, donor-advised funds, tax-effective giving, trust transfers, and legacy planning, delivered via a professional advisor network.
• Trusts & Foundations Management Services for charitable trusts and foundations including fund distribution in Surrey, trust management assistance, and complete administrative takeover of trust responsibilities.
• Surrey Neighbourhood Needs Map Free interactive resource developed with Lincolnshire Community Foundation drawing on 1,000+ datasets to highlight areas of deprivation at LSOA level and guide grant funding decisions across Surrey.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of full applications receive a grant (after EOI invitation)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Surrey Cultural PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2025Joint partnership to develop arts and culture funding in Surrey. Co-created the Heritage for All Fund (£250,000 from National Lottery Heritage Fund) and Creative Wellbeing Fund. Working together since 2023 to support the arts and culture sector and reach new philanthropists.
• Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2024Research partner providing insights on philanthropy trends and donor advised fund growth. CFSurrey references CAF research on charitable giving in Surrey.
• Charles Russell SpeechlysminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 April 2024Professional advisor firm partnering with CFSurrey for philanthropy services. Staff enthusiastic about the fund and happy to share impact stories for PR.
• Oakleaf EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Part of consortium with Hope Hub, Guildford Action, and Rentstart awarded £634,000+ for suicide prevention in young adults through Mental Health Scale Up Fund.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation: UK community foundation operating the same place-based grant-making model as CFSurrey but serving Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Operates a comparable family of funds, area funds, and donor-advised services with similar revenue mix of individual, corporate, and trust giving.
• Kent Community Foundation: Neighbouring South East community foundation with similar grant programmes for local VCSE organisations and individuals. Operates comparable Main Grants rounds and area-specific community funds, drawing on similar donor demographics in the broader commuter belt.
• Berkshire Community Foundation: South East community foundation serving Berkshire with similar grant-making model, including corporate giving, donor-advised funds, and area-specific community funds. Directly comparable operating model and revenue streams to CFSurrey.
• Lincolnshire Community Foundation: UK community foundation that has directly partnered with CFSurrey to co-develop the Surrey Neighbourhood Needs Map. Operates a comparable place-based grant-making model with shared methodological approaches to data-driven funding decisions.
• Wiltshire Community Foundation: Regional UK community foundation operating the same grant-making model with area funds, Main Grants rounds, and donor services. UKCF network peer alongside CFSurrey with broadly comparable scale and fund family.
• Cambridgeshire Community Foundation: Established UK community foundation with similar permanent endowment structure and range of thematic/area funds. Comparable donor-advised fund and corporate giving services to high-net-worth clients in the Cambridge region.
• Essex Community Foundation: South East regional community foundation operating the same UKCF-aligned model of place-based philanthropy, supporting local charities, area funds, and thematic funds across Essex with overlapping donor base in the Home Counties.
• Sussex Community Foundation: South East England community foundation using an identical structure of area funds, thematic funds, and donor-advised services to support local charities. Closest geographic and demographic peer to CFSurrey within the UK Community Foundations network, competing for similar donor pools in the London commuter belt.

Broad incumbents

• The National Lottery Community Fund: UK's largest community funder distributing National Lottery proceeds across the country. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has already partnered with CFSurrey on the Heritage For All Fund, and the wider Community Fund represents both a potential funder and partial competitor for community-level grant applications.
• Charities Aid Foundation: National UK philanthropy services organisation that CFSurrey explicitly partners with for donor-advised fund research and insights. Provides broader payroll giving, charity banking, and Gift Aid services across the UK, overlapping with CFSurrey's professional advisor and corporate services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-foundation-for-surrey

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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