Duplication in the UK charity sector often causes funding to fall short of reaching the problems charities are trying to address. It is also very sad that many charities are set up without establishing whether there is genuine need - they frequently have a very short lifespan.
Community Foundations have lasted a century because they can solve some of these problems. We can supply the charitable expertise and local knowledge to ensure that funding is directed to the right causes. We can also introduce groups to one another to engender collaboration - building a far more efficient charitable sector.
Indeed, last year's outgoing chief executive of the Charity Commission, Sam Younger, argued 'that too many people set up a new charity without establishing whether there was a genuine need or whether another charity was already doing similar work'. NPC always advises clients thinking of forming a new charity or foundation to look at existing options first. They may be better placed to join forces with others who have already built up knowledge and expertise... This is why we welcome the new steps added last year to the Charity Commission's guidance on setting up a new charity: the watchdog recommends looking at alternatives before starting a charity, whether that's funding an existing organisation in the same field, joining in as a volunteer or trustee or setting up a named fund within a community foundation.
