Staffordshire Community Foundation, The Dudson Centre, Hope Street, Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 5DD
Registered Charity
No: 1091628 Registered Company No: 04220563
Fund Management
The Staffordshire Community Foundation has extensive knowledge of managing the administration of many varying funds. As we can invest many funds at one time we often benefit from better than normal investment rates. All the finances of our funds are handled by our Investment Managers, Brewin Dolphin.
Generally there are 2 ways of having a fund with the Staffordshire Community Foundation....
Setting Up A Personalised Fund
Transferring A Fund, Charity or Trust
The Staffordshire Community Foundation, as well as managing funds that are set up with us, can also take over the general running of outside funds, trusts and charities.
We work closely with the Charity Commission and the Community Foundation Network on the 'Boost Initiative. This initiative came about to revitalise and invigorate dormant, semi-dormant and ineffective trusts and charities. Under sections 74 and 75 of the Charities Act 1993, later 2005, you can transfer a charity or trust to the Staffordshire Community Foundation in a very simple way.
Sometimes trusts or charities become dormant or semi-dormant, or even ineffective, due to circumstances far beyond the control of the original trustees. The original remit of the charity or fund may no longer stand, as circumstances may have changed. Maybe the original trustees are no longer able to manage the fund, or the fund has become more work than is practical, but can not close the charity or trust down due to the sheer amount of hard work involved. In all of these cases the Staffordshire Community Foundation can offer many ways to ease the burden.
Due to the Boost Initiative the Charity Commission has made it very simple for the Staffordshire Community Foundation to take over existing charities and trusts, meaning that we can handle all the hard work for you.
There are many options available but the two most frequently used are;
- The charity or trust is transferred to the Staffordshire Community Foundation. We can then continue to run the fund as was intended, with it's original remit.
2. The charity or trust can be transferred to the Staffordshire Community Foundation, at which point we can transfer the money or funds into a general 'Community Fund' or an existing fund with a similar remit. Community Funds have a broad general remit, where the only ties are on geographical area. Once the transfer is complete the original Charity or Trust can be closed down and an 'incorporating note' can be added to the Community Fund, so 'The Borough of Stafford Community Fund' may become the 'Borough of Stafford Community Fund, incorporating the John Smith Charity'. This way, whilst the original charity may be closed, the name of the charity will live on forever. All this can be handled by the Staffordshire Community Foundation so that there is no work for the original trustees to do.
Sometimes we want to give money to charity, but can not find a suitable charity to donate to, or there is one that does not match your ideals. In cases like this it is often too much work and impractical to set up your own trust or charity, but now the Staffordshire Community Foundation can handle all the work for you.
We can establish a fund in your name, the name of a loved one, or in any name you choose. We can handle all the set up administration and continual reporting, to the Charity Commission and to yourself. You can have as much or as little involvement as you like. You may want to be involved every step of the way and consulted at all times, or you may not want any involvement at all. of course, both of these wishes can be met by the Staffordshire Community Foundation, or equally, at any point between the two. You can choose the remit for your fund, so that you can target whoever you choose.
Our funds are created as permanent endowments. This is where the original capital sum is invested and any interest accrued is distributed as grants to the causes you choose. All of our investments are handled by our Investment Managers, Brewin Dolphin, who invest them according to Charity Commission guidelines, which offers a degree of protection against market fluctuations.
Once established, an endowment fund is forever and can never be taken or seized.