Building up a fund over time: the Acorn Fund

Acorn Funds are a special type of Endowment Fund where you can build up your donations over a number of years, to a point where your fund ‘matures’. It then becomes like every other Endowment Fund. The donations are treated as assets, and the investment income is used to support causes you choose.

Acorn Funds require a minimum donation of £975 per year. For a standard-rate taxpayer, that means £65 per month as we claim 25% Gift Aid back on your donation. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim additional tax relief, meaning the minimum will be only £58 a month (net). Acorn Funds mature when the assets reach a value of £25k. Because of additional donations and investment growth, many Acorn Funds have matured as quickly as seven or eight years after donors set them up.

While your Acorn is growing, you can reinvest the income back into your Fund to speed its growth, or you can use it to support one of our theme or affinity funds.

Click here to download the Acorn Fund leaflet and meet some of the people who are building their giving over time.

More information on how we invest your donations is here.

All donations to the Community Foundation to establish or grow funds or support our work generally are covered by our Gift Acceptance Policy.