The North East Roots Fund will strengthen communities in North East England with the support of those who share a special passion for the region.  

The fund is for people with links to the area who would like to give back. You may have been born or educated, or have lived or worked, in the North East. Anyone who cares about the region and its people is welcome to get involved. 

As a collective giving fund, your money will be pooled with others, so a greater impact can be made. 

How will my money make a difference? 

Your donation will be split 50/50. 50% will be used to make grants now, 50% will be invested and grown. The ongoing income earned will be used to make grants now and in perpetuity.

Your money will be used to support a wide range of projects through grants made from the North East Roots Fund under the following themes: 

• Pathways to opportunity: Supporting young people to find their passions and take up opportunities through funding education, skills, workforce and enterprise activities.
• Essentials for thriving communities: Supporting community organisations focused on health, wellbeing and inclusion, as well as the provision of vibrant community spaces that bring people together.
• Inspiring places and spaces: – Protecting and nurturing the region's incredible heritage, environment and culture so their benefits continue for generations to come.

All funds contribute towards our charitable activities. This means we don’t have to fundraise for our own costs in competition with the charities we’re here to help. For the North East Roots Fund, we retain a contribution of up to 5% to support immediate grant-making. This comes from Gift Aid where the donation is eligible. For illustration, if an eligible donor gives £1000, we can add £250 in Gift Aid. We split this, with £625 being invested and £625 kept as revenue. This is made up of £575 available for immediate grants, after our support cost contribution of £50. 

There are unavoidable extra fees attached to gifts made through the Enthuse platform. If you would prefer to avoid these by giving by bank transfer, please contact us.

About the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland 

At the Community Foundation we nurture giving and philanthropy, matching generous people with our region's important community causes. Every year, we award grants to hundreds of small charities in the North East through funds set up by our donors. 

Since being established in 1988, the Foundation has awarded over £160 million in grants. 

When you donate to a fund at the Community Foundation, your money is invested into an endowment. The income from this endowment is used to generate grants to organisations supported by the fund. 

The Community Foundation is a Registered Charity No. 700510. Limited Company No. 2273708