Annual Review 2021/2022

Welcome to a deeper dive into some of the issues we are working on to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help local communities in County Durham and Tees Valley.

Overview

In 2021/22 we awarded £4.75 million in grants to fight poverty and enrich lives – thanks to our generous supporters. Over the course of the year, 1042 grants were awarded to 649 community groups and 339 individuals, through 72 funding programmes. But our grant making is much more than numbers. Each grant tells a story.

To measure the impact of our grant making, we’ve chosen to focus on nine Sustainable Development Goals that best represent our mission and focus. When you choose to support our work, you’re investing in something bigger – a global vision that starts with local, grassroots change. The goals keep us focused on outcomes that are good for everyone, and that build a sustainable future for generations to come.

Reaching communities in need

Since 1995 we have been supporting community groups in County Durham and the wider North-East through small grants that make a huge difference.

Through our work during the pandemic with the National Emergencies Trust, we have funded and built relationships with many more local groups. As an accredited member of the UKCF network, we are committed to delivering national funding programmes for County Durham and Tees Valley, and building a growing offer through local support from businesses and individuals.

Thinking ‘green’ as a funder

We know we must play our part when it comes to climate change. Here’s what we’re doing to get our own house in order – and support the small charities we fund to ‘green’ their projects.

Here today, here tomorrow

Community Foundations are here to help communities long term. No flash in the pan here. To ensure we can always meet community need, we have an endowment managed by CCLA that invests supporter gifts so that they can grow. The growth in investment, and sometimes even the capital when times are hard, then becomes grants for local groups.

Making funding accessible for all

A diverse range of small charities access our funding already. But we are always hoping to be better. As well as signing up for the IVAR flexible funders project, we are investing time and effort into embedding Equity, Diversity and Inclusion into our culture.