How To join

How To Become A Member

The Community Foundation directs funds to the areas of need. By making an annual donation to the Foundation, our Corporate and Individual members, are each supporting a wide range of projects throughout the Unitary Authority Area of Milton Keynes.

Each year all members are invited to choose how they would like their donation to be spent by allocating it to one or any combination of our funds.

Membership Levels

Corporate Members
Minimum £500 annual membership. Corporate Members receive invitations to breakfast business networking meetings, and all members are invited to our Spring and Autumn Receptions, receive newsletters, webletters and our annual report and accounts.

Individual Patrons
Donations from £3,000 per annum. As a Patron we can organise personal visits to grant recipients and you will receive invitations to a variety of events. All members are invited to our Spring and Autumn Receptions, receive newsletters, webletters and our annual report and accounts.

Individual/Family Members
Minimum £120 annual membership. Individual/Family Members who wish to make membership donations at Patron, Senior Corporate or Corporate level can also take advantage of the opportunities listed above. All members are invited to our Spring and Autumn Receptions, receive newsletters, webletters and our annual reports and accounts.

Patrons
£10,000 in the first year of membership, a minimum of £5,000 in subsequent years. Patrons receive invitations to a variety of events depending on their area of interest. This includes Arts Events and Business Networking meetings, which include breakfast, lunch and evening receptions. Patrons are the first to receive opportunities to sponsor special high profile occasions. All members are invited to our Spring and Autumn Receptions, receive newsletters, webletters and our annual report and accounts.

Senior Corporate Members
Minimum £1,000 annual membership Senior Corporate Members receive invitations to a range of business networking meetings, which include breakfast, lunch and evening events. Senior Corporate Members have the opportunity to sponsor special high profile occasions. All members are invited to our Spring and Autumn Receptions, receive newsletters, webletters and our annual report and accounts.

Benefits
All Members of the Community Foundation receive:
Local media coverage upon joining the Foundation.
Two newsletters each year and an annual report; these provide the latest information about the work of the Foundation in Milton Keynes.
An acorn lapel badge.
Hyperlink from our website to the members website
Invitations to a Summer Reception in July and a Seasonal Reception in December. The hundred plus guests who attend find them both enjoyable, and for our corporate members, a most valuable opportunity to network.
Invitations to be part of special events, e.g. Classical Concerts, Go Karting etc.
A new membership certificate upon receipt of the annual donation.

Payroll Giving

 
Running a Payroll Giving scheme is good for your business. Not only does it show that you're committed to working in partnership with the community - something that is increasingly important to customers and staff - it also shows that you care about your staff and their local community. Offering them the benefits of Payroll Giving can also help to build better employee relations and attract the right people to come and work for you. It is easy and inexpensive to run and any matching of staff donations or administration costs can be deducted from company profits for tax purposes.

To join the scheme the employee simply completes one form and returns it to the Community Foundation and we then send a copy to your payroll department. All the money collected from employees is then paid to Charities Aid Foundation or another Inland Revenue approved Payroll Giving agency if you have already one set up, and they do the rest.

Administering Payroll Giving
One of the reasons payroll giving is so easy for employers and charities to implement is that much of the administrative burden is met by the agency charity with whom you are contracted.

The administration process starts with a monthly payroll deduction, forwarded by the employer to the appropriate agency charity. This should be accompanied by a list of donors and the value of the individual gifts. The agency charity will cross-reference this against their own records. Donations will then be disbursed to the Community Foundation.

The Government's 10 % supplement and any company matching will also be added at this stage, and paid direct into the Foundation's bank account.

If your Company has already or would like to start a Payroll Giving scheme, please contact Lisa Russel at the Foundation for further details or by telephoning 01908 393014.

Leave a Lasting Legacy

The Foundation currently manages several leagacy funds which offer invaluable support to our grant-making programme.  
We offer a simple, practical way for you to leave money to the local community in which you may have lived, worked and enjoyed for many years.
For further information about ways you can include the Foundation in your will, please contact Lisa Russel on 01908 393014.