1995
County Durham Foundation (as we were then known) is set up with match funding from William Leech Charitable Trust and the Barbour Trust
David Grant CBE becomes the first President, and Sir Paul Nicholson the first Chairman
1996
The first grant of £500 goes to the Crossroads Care Attendant Scheme in Peterlee
The Rt Hon Tony Blair (at the time MP for Sedgefield), Sir Harold Evans and Professor David Bellamy join the Foundation as Vice Presidents
Close to £30,000 is given out in grants in the first six months
The Foundation celebrates its Endowment Fund reaching £1million
1997
CDF becomes joint recipient of a £597,000 grant from the Millennium Awards Scheme to train community leaders of the future with its neighbouring community foundation in Tyne & Wear
Two large charitable trusts - Hylton House Trust and Stanhope Castle School Trust – are transferred to CDF to administer
1999
Pledged endowment is doubled to £3.5 million in just one year
CDF takes on the Ropner Convalescent Home Trust, the first fund worth in excess of £1 million
2001
CDF launches its first emergency fund to help communities affected by the Foot and Mouth outbreak. Over £50,000 is raised for the Countryside Relief Fund in just six months
CDF is awarded the Local Network Fund which gives out over £1.3 million to projects working with children and young people across County Durham and Darlington
2002
CDF celebrates giving out over £2 million in grants to the local community
Sir Paul Nicholson becomes President of the Foundation after the sad death of founding President, David Grant CBE
Former North East Businessman of the Year, Bernard Robinson OBE takes over as chairman
2003
CDF is chosen to manage the European Social Funding’s Global Grants Programme, a five year £700,000 fund to support back-to-work training for individuals
2005
CDF marks its 10th anniversary with the announcement that it has given out over £10 million to good causes over the 10 years
‘Darlington Champions’ is successfully launched to build a network of supporters for the borough of Darlington
UK community foundations become local agents for Sport Relief
2006
CDF’s portfolio of funds exceeds 70
‘Acorn Funds’ are launched – a way of gradually building up a named Endowment Fund, with Andrew and Shelagh Martell setting up the first one
2007
CDF is awarded the Community Foundation Network Quality Accreditation mark, which is endorsed by the Charity Commission
2008
Bernard Robinson retires as chairman and entrepreneur Mark I’Anson takes over
As part of a national contract for selected community foundations, CDF is allocated £1.4 million for a Grassroots Grants programme – including a £1 for £1 match opportunity for donors
2009
The Banks Community Fund reaches £1 million in grants with the help of CDF
CDF awards £780k of grants in one day as part of the Real Support for Communities: Targeted Support Fund
CDF rebrands to County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) and unveils a vibrant new ‘rubine red’ logo and strap line ‘Growing through Giving’
2010
£3.1 million raised in the financial year 2009/10 and grants awarded of almost £1.9 million, bringing the total awarded to over £17 million since 1995
The Foundation moves offices to Victoria House, Meadowfield Industrial Estate with its own branded Reception area
CDCF achieves quality standards once again in IIP, ISO and CFN QA2 – the industry standard for community foundations, recognised by the Charity Commission
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