The Boost Initiative
The Boost Initiative is a service that aims to release funds tied up in
small inactive or dormant charitable trusts, reactivating them to effectively deliver to communities in the UK.
The Boost Initiative is a national service, run by our colleagues at the Community Foundation for Merseyside, for trustees who want to remain involved in grant giving, but could be struggling to administer or make grants from their trust.
By providing a link to local community foundations, the Boost Initiative can ensure charity assets have maximum impact.
The Problem
We are aware there are significant charitable resources that, for a 
variety of reasons, are not being used as effectively as possible. We understand that there can be barriers to effective trust management. This could be due to:
- the objectives of a trust being outdated, making it nearly impossible to meet the requirements of the original benefactor.
- trustees being unable to administer the fund due to illness, lack of resources or other commitments.
- assets are too small to have significant impact on their own or in the local area.
- trustees no longer having the relevant local knowledge to deliver grants effectively.
- the work of administering the charity being a serious inconvenience to the person who is expected to do it.
Nobody understands better than community foundations how difficult it can be to manage charitable funds.
The Benefits of the Boost Initiative
The main aim of the Boost Initiative is to link trustees of dormant and inactive trusts with their local community foundation. They will work with trustees to decide how to make their assets more effective in meeting local needs.
By working with us, trustees will enjoy a range of benefits:
- Trustees can remain involved in effective grant making, without the responsibility of being a trustee.
- Community foundations outreach support will ensure grants are being used to meet the real needs of local areas.
- Trustees can invest in an endowment fund - leaving a legacy for the future.
- Community foundations offer a flexible, cost effective and trouble free solution to giving in local communities, removing the unwanted administrative responsibility.
- Community foundations can pool resources, drawing a number of funding streams together to increase capacity and add value.
Unlock the Potential
There are a variety of ways to work with the Boost Initiative to unlock charitable assets:
- You can dissolve a trust and make a donation to a local community foundation.
- Assets can be transferred to set up a new fund with local community foundations.
- Management agreements can be established with community foundations, whereby they administer funds on behalf of trustees.
- Community foundations can be appointed as the sole trustees of a charity, maintaining a distinct identity.
If you are a trustee and would like to know more about working with the Boost Initiative and reactivating your assets we’d like to speak to you.
To discuss any aspect of our service further please contact Jessica Pilkington on (01604) 230033
or email jessica@ncf.uk.com
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Northamptonshire Community Foundation is an accredited Community Foundation in association
with Coutts & Co