Donating to charity has been given a major boost with a £1 million match challenge granted by the BIG Lottery Fund to the Fund for Wales campaign.
Established by the Community Foundation in Wales, the Fund for Wales is making a difference now and in the future by encouraging charitable giving in order to support volunteer led community projects and charities across the nation.
Wales is the only country in the world to have its own national endowment fund. With HRH The Prince of Wales as royal patron, this unique fund has already raised over £250,000 and awarded its first five grants.
Chief Executive of the Foundation, Liza Kellett said: “We hope that the Fund for Wales BIG Match Challenge will bring out the philanthropist in all of us, matching donations big or small, with a challenge to raise a further £1 million in the next three years.
“Donors are showing their support for Welsh communities by choosing which of five causes they wish to give to, and now, thanks to the Big Lottery Fund, charitable donations will be doubled. A gift to the Fund for Wales is a gift which keeps on giving, making a difference now and forever.”
Connecting people who care with causes that matter, the Fund for Wales is building a community of donors whose gifts – of all sizes and from all over the World – nurture Welsh culture, heritage and environment, and improve the lives of people across Wales.
To date grants of £1,000 have been awarded to: Amlwch Age Well to run its culture and genealogy club; Merthyr Youth to broaden the horizons of young people; Llanelli Community Heritage towards its Rebecca Riots interpretative panel; Deganwy Friendship Club for its programme of speakers and outings; and Bardsey Bird & Field Observatory to support its world-renowned moth conservation work.
At the end of the three year challenge period, the Community Foundation in Wales expects to be awarding £70,000 per year, every year, in community grants from the Fund for Wales endowment.
Liza Kellett added: “The Fund for Wales is about people wanting to make a difference – people who love Wales and who appreciate the vital work of community groups and charities in neighbourhoods across the country.
“We have had donors from America, France, and London! One donor gave in memory of his father from Aberaeron, another supporter from Swansea made a gift from a legacy he’d received. Gifts so far have ranged from £10 per month to £100,000, and donors giving over £25,000 can have their own Named Fund. The Fund for Wales truly shows that together we can make a difference.”
The fund’s unique structure enables donors to give as much as they like, allowing them to decide which of the themes their money goes to safe in the knowledge that their donation will be stewarded by the Foundation and will be a gift which keeps on giving.”
Information about how to support the Fund for Wales is available on the campaign’s website
www.fundforwales.org.uk.
The Community Foundation in Wales is a charity which promotes and manages philanthropy, connecting people who care with causes that matter. The Foundation awards grants of around £1.8 million each year to inspirational charities and community groups on behalf of its donors – individuals & families, businesses and trusts. Last year, these grants benefited 364 charities and projects, which were supported by over 5,000 volunteers and helped more than 36,000 people across Wales.