A named fund is a ring-fenced charitable fund held by us on your behalf. Named funds are a great way for you to get directly involved in community philanthropy, without the cost and administration of setting up your own charitable trust.

Named funds are created for various reasons: in memory of a loved one, to campaign for a cause close to your heart, as a way of demonstrating impactful CSR, or simply because you can and want to help. Whatever the reason, a named fund is often the most effective way of carrying out great charitable intentions.

Gifts made through a named fund enable you to be extremely tax efficient. This is because, whenever appropriate, the Community Foundation will always reclaim any eligible Gift Aid on your behalf, as well as allocate any available match-funding. The gift is then invested by professional fund managers into the community foundation’s endowment, where it earns further income. All of these mechanisms mean that by giving via Oxfordshire Community Foundation, your charitable gift is worth significantly more than it would have been via a conventional donation.

Named funds come in two categories:

• Donor-advised funds, which channel the charitable gifts of a single donor or small group to a portfolio of charities that match their passions and areas of interest
• Charities-in-a-box, which are a means for committed fundraisers to solicit multiple donations in order to benefit a specific cause that they are championing

Working under the foundation’s umbrella, fundholders gain access to our professional advice, local knowledge and the expertise of our small office team.

You decide how involved you are in decisions about how the fund is used, and the fund can be anonymous or named after yourself, a family member, a friend, a company or anything that is personal to you.

If you’re interested in finding out more about named funds, download our factsheet or contact us.