Community Foundation Marks 25 Years with Ambitious Fundraising Appeal

Two Ridings Community Foundation, a significant supporter of local charities and community groups across North and East Yorkshire, York, and Hull, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a forward-looking fundraising appeal.

The organisation, which has grown from its inception to distributing 23 million pounds across the region, is now setting its sights on the next quarter-century.

Since its formation in 2000, the Foundation has aimed to help local people improve local lives. Over the past 25 years, the Foundation has awarded more than £23 million in grants to over 7,000 community organisations. These grants have supported a wide array of initiatives, from mental health assistance and food banks to youth work and emergency response during crises like floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Celia McKeon, Chief Executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation, highlighted the profound impact of their work, stating,

"It's exciting to look at the volume of what's being done over that period of time. We've managed to grow from nothing to distributing 23 million pounds across the region, supporting 7,000 different grassroots organizations.

So those statistics are gratifying, but I think what's more important is the experiences that have been made possible by that money and by those organizations.

Because for every grant, the stories of individual lives changed, of connections made of opportunities that people wouldn't have otherwise had. That's what we are here to support and nurture and advocate for.

So it's in the collective sum of all those individual experiences that I think the real magic lies. "

Celia McKeon says the foundation provides a way of connecting funding providers with local groups that make a difference with that funding.

"There's two parts to our work. So the first part is stewarding donations from a variety of different donors. So we hold funds on behalf of local authorities, businesses, national trusts and foundations who want a local footprint, and also families and private individuals who want to give something back to the place that they love.

So we work with them to understand. What kind of giving they want to do and how we can facilitate that on their behalf and ensure that they achieve their objectives and the impact that they want with their money. And then we put that into practice by running grant programs that community.

Organizations, grassroots groups can apply to for funds. And we specialize in making those simple accessible programs where people can put in a short application explaining what they want to do. And then we work with a community panel for each fund to make the very difficult decision of how to distribute the money to all the amazing different causes and initiatives that are happening around the region.

The Foundation's commitment focuses North and East Yorkshire, including dedicated funds for areas like the North Yorkshire coast, covering Scarborough and Whitby

"As a community foundation, our commitment in this case is to North and East Yorkshire. So we are focused on trying to support thriving, flourishing communities in whatever the circumstances they find themselves.

So we have, funds, for example, for the North Yorkshire coast covering Scarborough and Whitby, which is specifically tuned to the needs and challenges and opportunities in those communities.

And similarly, we do that elsewhere in the region, as well as having thematic funds that address themes that are common to people across the whole of the geography.

Launching the 25th Anniversary Appeal

To mark this significant anniversary, Two Ridings has launched a 25th Anniversary Appeal with the goal of raising an additional £250,000 this year. This effort aims to help the Foundation increase its total grants awarded to £25 million by the end of its 25th year.

Celia McKeon says the anniversary appeal is about looking to the next 25 years.

"Our intention is to celebrate the 25 years that we've had, but we've got our eyes very firmly fixed on the future, and we are thinking about the needs and opportunities for communities for the next 25 years.

So as an initial starting point, what we want to try and do is get our total giving up to 25 million by the end of our 25th. Year. And to do that, we're hoping to raise an additional quarter of a million pounds this year, so we are inviting anybody who might be looking for an opportunity to give back to their local community to get in touch with us, to discuss what they would most want that to look like and how we can work together to make it possible. "

The foundation has helped over 7,000 local groups over the last 25 years and has enjoyed celebrating many successes along the way. One significant milestone for the Foundation occurred in 2022 when the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Scarborough. Celia says the visit provided an opportunity for the Foundation to showcase its distinctive approach to grant making.

"That was a massive day for us as an organization.

I think it was really rewarding to see the genuine interest and commitment that the Prince and Princess of Wales had to children, young people, and particularly for work that is supporting them with mental health, and they also got an opportunity to witness the approach that we take to grant making where we get the people most involved in the issues and the work to participate in the decisions about how the money is distributed.

So that was a really exciting day for us as a foundation to be able to showcase all of that activity and give people the opportunity to be recognized and acknowledged for work that often is done, quite quietly behind the scenes.

So I think that's been really important."

Looking Ahead: Funding the Future

As part of the anniversary celebrations and future planning, a Community Time Capsule will be filled with "stories, messages and hopes from across the region," set to be sealed in 2025 and opened in 2050.

Celia says they are looking for as many of their partners as possible to take part in filling the time capsule.

"We've sent an invitation to all the groups that we've funded across the region to share a memory of some of the work that they've done over the past 25 years.

So it can be a picture, it can be a small object. It can be a little bit of writing that describes the kind of magic at the heart of what they do.

So we want to capture something of the spirit of that last 25 years of activity and and make that then, available in 25 years time for communities of the future to look at as a source of inspiration and joy and celebration of the work that is happening."

The core of Two Ridings' work involves stewarding donations from a diverse range of donors, including local authorities, businesses, national trusts, and foundations, as well as families and private individuals. They facilitate giving by understanding donor objectives and then running accessible grant programs that community organisations can apply to. A unique aspect of their process involves working with a community panel for each fund to make decisions on how to distribute money to the many causes across the region.

Bec Horner, Head of Communications & Partnerships at Two Ridings, underscored the lasting impact of contributions:

"Every donation starts a ripple. It might fund a youth group or a mental health session, but the impact runs deeper, bringing people together, strengthening communities, and building hope.

For 25 years, we’ve seen that through Two Ridings. Now, we’re focused on growing that impact and helping more people shape their communities. That’s the power and legacy of giving".

The Foundation is urging the public to support its appeal to continue this vital work and help shape the next 25 years of community impact.

You can contribute to the 25th Anniversary Appeal at https://tworidingscf.org.uk/donate25/ 

There is more information about Two Riding's 25th Anniversary Year at https://tworidingscf.org.uk/25years/