A laptop, a carpet, a washing machine – the small grants that make a big difference to young care leavers
By Jacqui Scott, HIWCF CEO In a recent article for Philanthropy Impact, Andrew Robinson of CCLA Investment Management – one of our funders – made a compelling case for a different way of thinking about philanthropy. Rather than chasing quick wins or measuring success solely through numbers, he argues that meaningful change happens through trust, […]
Why we ask about Reserves, and why they matter
By Jacqui Scott, CEO, HIWCF When community groups apply for funding from HIWCF, one of the questions we ask is: “At the end of your last financial year, how much did your organisation have as unrestricted reserves?” We know this can sometimes feel like a difficult question to answer – and perhaps even a little […]
What better grant making means in practice
By Jacqui Scott, CEO, HIWCF What does it really mean to be an ‘Open and Trusting’ funder? For HIWCF, it is a question we have been asking ourselves increasingly over the past year. We recently committed to the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR)’s Open and Trusting principles, which encourage funders to think differently about […]
Why more advisers are talking to clients about local philanthropy
Increasingly, solicitors, accountants, financial planners and wealth advisers are expected to help clients think about their legacy, purpose and the impact they want to make in the communities around them both during their lifetime and after they pass away. For many professional advisers, conversations around wealth are becoming broader than financial performance alone – so understanding the most […]
What we heard from community groups – and what we’re doing next
At HIWCF, we believe that listening matters and that’s why earlier this year, we asked community groups that have engaged with our grant programmes to share their experiences of working with us. The survey forms part of our ongoing commitment to learn, improve and make our funding processes as supportive as possible. First and foremost, […]
Report highlights need to rebuild pride in place across the South East
A major new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has revealed growing challenges around local pride, community connection and confidence in the impact of charities across the UK – findings which Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) says underline the importance of place-based giving. CAF’s UK Local Giving 2026 report found that […]
Open, trusting, and evolving: what we’re learning from our communities about better grant making
By Jacqui Scott, HIWCF CEO HIWCF recently signed up to the IVAR (Institute for Voluntary Action Research) ’Open and Trusting’ initiative, a programme which asks funders to commit to eight pledges around our approach to grant making: these include transparency, flexibility, proportionality and more. For us, this has been part of wider efforts toward more […]
What the decline in UK giving means for our communities
By Jacqui Scott, HIWCF CEO On Sunday 22 March, I had the opportunity to join BBC Politics South alongside local MPs, Alex Brewer MP (North East Hants) and Dr Beccy Cooper MP (Worthing West) to discuss a growing challenge for our sector: the decline in charitable giving across the UK. The latest research shows a […]
Funders collaborate in Hampshire to support young people
Research shows that young people are among those most affected by social fragmentation and polarisation. The national £3.4m Lead the Change programme is focused on two key areas: systemic issues causing division in communities and youth social action. The programme will amplify youth voices and nurture young community leaders in Portsmouth, Southampton and Aldershot. On […]
Community Lens roundtable: what we heard, what must change, and why it matters
By Jacqui Scott, HIWCF CEO On Giving Tuesday I had the privilege of hosting our latest Community Lens roundtable – a space we’ve created for frontline organisations to speak candidly about what they are seeing, what is keeping them awake at night, and how the wider system is affecting the people they support. Every time […]