We are the largest independent funder in Essex, providing grants to charities and voluntary organisations across the county.
We do this by working with individuals, families, businesses, charitable trusts and public agencies, helping them to find and fund local groups that are tackling the issues they care about most.
We manage an endowment of £58 million, have awarded over £60 million in grants over the 29 years since our Foundation was established, and steward 217 charitable funds.
Our support to the VCS extends beyond grantmaking. It is about trust, building relationships and about being a Foundation that understands Essex not just its challenges, but its potential. Our Strategy to 2030 prioritises: investing in community organisations doing vital work in Essex, inspiring giving to grow assets for our community, and being a bold independent voice for the voluntary sector.
Who We Are
We work with individuals, families, businesses and charitable trusts, introducing them to local groups tackling issues in our communities.
By investing the donations we receive and the funds we manage, we provide a sustainable source of funding that local organisations can tap into, year on year.
We use our skills and expertise to carry out due diligence on applications made to us for funding and match the charities’ needs with the wishes of our donors.
Our Team
We are a place-based organisation, and our team of 18 works from our bright and modern offices in the City of Chelmsford. We offer hybrid and flexible working patterns.
Our History
We were set up by an Essex couple when they sold the family sweet-making business, Trebor, to Cadburys in 1989. Ian and Angela Marks decided to give back to the county where their family had lived and worked for generations.
Ian and Angela believed that a community foundation could provide the route through which people could come together, make donations, and support charities and voluntary groups in their local area that were improving the lives of local people. It could also foster a stronger sense of community spirit.
Thanks to their vision we have grown to support hundreds of organisations each year and continue to inspire more and more people to join us in growing our funds to make an even bigger impact.
Our Vision remains to encourage strong, generous communities – an Essex where everyone works together to enhance the quality of local life.