How charities can help communities affected by flooding
UK Community Foundations can support your charity to help flood victims while keeping within the rules.
Following the recent floods in Cumbria, communities are pulling together to help those people affected and local charities can play an important role. The same rules apply to helping the victims of the Cumbria floods as to other emergencies and disasters.
If your charity is thinking of providing relief to victims of the flooding directly, check your governing document first to make sure you’re not straying outside your charity’s purposes.
For example, if your charity is a community centre or village hall, with purposes of helping the inhabitants of the local community, you could probably assist by providing a hub for distributing essential supplies.
Or if you want to appeal for funds, check the rules about disaster and emergency appeals.
But your charity, particularly if it’s small, may make more impact by working with UK Community Foundations. These are local grant-making organisations that can help you:
- work out where your local community needs support
- identify local groups that are already meeting these needs
- decide how to use donations strategically and effectively
Find your nearest Community Foundation on the UK Community Foundations website.
If you’re an individual wishing to donate, follow the commission’s safer giving guidelines.