SCF has enjoyed great success as a grant-giver to projects benefiting all areas of the community and all ages. But without the help of local businesses and individuals, we could not achieve so much.

Wealthy individuals and local companies of all sizes know that the Foundation is a well structured, business-like operation that’s ideally placed to efficiently administer and monitor their charitable giving. They know that to have a permanent and lasting impact on our community, we need to have a permanent and continuing source of funds.

With the help of our benefactors, we intend to build an Endowment Fund. Like many community foundations before us, by wisely investing this sum we hope to use the revenue to make grants year in year out.

But we’re also sensitive to the needs of our donors. If they want to set up a special fund for specific areas or needs, we’ll do that for them. We’ll also help companies or individuals who ask us to administer all their charitable giving.

Whatever the requirements of our benefactors, it’s critical that we demonstrate fairness and accountability in the way we handle other people’s philanthropy. That’s why we set up a panel of advisors, drawn from all parts of the community, to carefully monitor the way each grant is spent. This means that money raised goes to projects that not only meet the criteria of donors, but it reaches where funds are needed most.

The largest panel we have is for the Local Network for Children and Young People, with 15 local people each bringing experience and an understanding of the needs of children and young people. They include young people involved in youth work, the director of the careers service and retired head of Light Hall School, David Scard, who chairs the panel.

At the other extreme, some small donor advised funds have two or three panel members. And for one-off grants, we may use an independent referee to look at the match between the terms of the grants and the application.