Corporate Giving

We partner with Somerset-based businesses to help them achieve their charitable and corporate social responsibility goals.

Charitable giving and linked initiatives like employee volunteering and sustainability are no longer a ‘nice to have’ or a non-essential part of a business.  They are one of the most important ways to demonstrate a company’s values and having clear and transparent goals in these areas is now a vital part of any strategy.

Giving back to the communities where clients and employees live and work has the potential to make a huge impact, not just on the charities and their beneficiaries, but on client relationships, staff recruitment and retention, and employee wellbeing. Ultimately, giving back can be a key pillar in supporting growth and development.

We see many examples of companies in Somerset seeking to support their local community, but often other demands on their time mean they can struggle to respond to all the approaches they receive from local charities and community groups. Running their charitable corporate giving through a Community Foundation is a great way for companies to ensure that their good intentions are delivering real impact and helping those most in need. There are a number of ways to start charitable corporate giving with Somerset Community Foundation and help Somerset to thrive.

Named Corporate Funds

Setting up a corporate charitable fund is a simple alternative to a company foundation, offering great flexibility without the administrative burdens. It is a rewarding and exciting way of supporting your local community. A fund can be set up in your company’s name and you decide what issues and/or geographical areas your fund will support.

We can offer opportunities for you or your employees to be involved in deciding which charities to support, visits to projects you have funded and support to celebrate your charitable giving internally and through press and social media engagement. We have opportunities for setting up funds to make an immediate impact as well as endowment opportunities for you to make a difference for years to come.

The Somerset Fund

The Somerset Fund is a simple and rewarding way for local individuals and businesses to give back, together. Donations are boosted by an incredible 50% thanks to matched funding from Somerset County Council. The Fund is a great way for smaller businesses to make a difference to small, local charities across the county.

All donors receive regular updates on the impact of their support, including regular email updates with case studies of charities supported, an annual impact report, and opportunities to promote your support on social media.

Business fund case study: The Old Mill Fund

Financial experts Old Mill hold a corporate named fund with Somerset Community Foundation (SCF). The fund launched in 2019 and makes donations to support local charities across Somerset, Wiltshire and Devon (the counties in which they have offices).

The Old Mill Fund brings together donations from the company with funds raised by teams in each of their offices across the South West. We worked closely with the Old Mill senior team to help them understand key areas of local need and create a fund that was responsive to this, whilst also reflecting the interests of their team and clients. The fund focuses on three key areas:

  • Building brighter futures:  helping young people to build skills, confidence and resilience to succeed at school and beyond
  • Reducing rural loneliness: supporting activities that reduce loneliness and help to improve physical and mental health
  • Strengthening communities: supporting projects that bring people together and build strong, supportive communities that help the most disadvantaged

The fund has now awarded over £50,000 of funding across the three counties.

Since the launch of the fund, staff at Old Mill have also given their time and expertise as volunteers at local charities, helping to upskill and strengthen the existing teams while others have visited projects that have received support from the fund. We regularly update the Old Mill team with whole-team virtual updates featuring some of the groups the company has funded.

Kevin Whitmarsh, CEO said: “Supporting local causes and our charitable giving is really important to us at Old Mill. It’s more than just giving money to local charities, it’s about being able to give back and to help make an impact to the communities we live and work in. When we hear all the incredible stories from individuals, families and community groups that have benefited from these grants it reminds us of the importance of being able to contribute both as individuals and as a business.”

If you run a business, or look after your company’s CSR or ESG, and would like to know more working with us, please contact Laura Blake, Development Director, on laura.blake@somersetcf.org.uk

Pictured: Jonathan Orchard from Old Mill with Laura Blake at a visit to Sweet Track Counselling Agency

Our corporate fundholders

We’re proud to manage funds on behalf of the following businesses:


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