For 35 years, the East End Community Foundation has been at the heart of charitable giving, driving meaningful social change for the people of the East End. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, we’ve helped build stronger communities, tackle hardship, and create opportunities where they’re needed most.
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2025: 35 years of East End Community Foundation
1990: We established the Isle of Dogs Community Foundation (IDCF) through the London Docklands Development Corporation, and the St Katherine and Shadwell Trust (SKST) was also founded that year.
1991: SKST received £3.5 million from News International and IDCF awarded its first year of grants totalling £28,607.
1996: We raised over £50,000 for the Barkantine Disaster Appeal, launched to support the community following the IRA bomb on the Isle of Dogs.
1998: More than £1 million was secured in Government funding to grow the endowment, and the first named fund with Canary Wharf Group was created to support after-school learning. That same year, £7 million in resources was transferred as the London Docklands Development Corporation ceased operations.
1999: We became one of the first community organisations to lead a single regeneration budget contract and revitalised the Workhouse facility to provide sports opportunities for local residents
2000: SKST invested £100,000 in a Special Millennium Project to develop the use of IT technology in local schools.
2002: We had undertaken a baseline survey revealing that 80% of children in Blackwall lived in no or low-income households, helping us to focus our grantmaking. That same year, SKST served as the local government agent for the Neighbourhood Community Chest in Tower Hamlets.
2006: We expanded SKST’s area of benefit to include Hackney and Newham and widened IDCF’s reach to cover the whole of Tower Hamlets. That year, we also lobbied LBTH and secured over £3.6 million through a Section 106 agreement to invest in local projects and launched our Community Self Help employment programme. We also introduced our first Christmas Food Bag Appeal, supporting 300 isolated elders.
2012: We consolidated our strength by merging IDCF and SKST to form the East End Community Foundation (EECF).
2013: £1.5 million in Government funding had been secured through Community First, building the Foundation’s endowment.
2014: We published our first Vital Signs report, bringing together key statistics and local voices to offer a “community health check” for the East End. That same year, we also launched our place-based giving initiatives, Hackney Giving and Newham Giving. Enabling local residents and businesses to support grassroots projects.
2023: Multiple grant funds totalling £734,000 were delivered for Tower Hamlets Borough, reaching 45,000 local residents. The Foundation managed the full process, from promoting the funds to providing quarterly updates and year-end impact reports.
Talk to us about how you can help
Ready to make a difference? Whether you’re a company, a donor or an individual, we’d love your support. Get in touch with our Development Officer at shakil.ahmed@eastendcf.org today to talk about how you can help. Together, we can shape an even brighter future for the East End.
