UK Community Foundations
Laura Richards is an accomplished finance professional with extensive experience in various roles within the finance and accountancy sectors. Currently serving as the Director of Finance and Interim Head of Finance at UK Community Foundations since January 2024, Laura has also been a Trustee Treasurer at Hope for Life Katanga since September 2016. Previously, Laura held the positions of Audit & Accounts Manager and Trainee Chartered Accountant at Godfrey Wilson Limited from September 2013 to December 2023. Laura's earlier career includes roles as Account Manager in External Sales at Kite Packaging and Compliance Account Manager at Kite Environmental Solutions, along with a stint as a Marketing Intern in the CRM team at Siemens Enterprise Communications. Laura earned a BSc Hons in International Management & German from the University of Bath from 2004 to 2008.
UK Community Foundations
About UK Community Foundations (UKCF) We are the membership organisation of 47 accredited community foundations across the UK and 4 international members, which collectively distribute over £70 million in grants every year to charities, community groups and individuals. At UKCF, we collaborate with Government, corporations and other donors on a national scale to positively impact local lives. In addition to this, we provide advice, learning and resources that support our members to deliver the highest standards of service to communities. What are community foundations? Community foundations come in all shapes and sizes, but what they all have in a common is a commitment to making a difference to people’s lives in the places they serve. Community foundations invest in local people and organisations tackling the biggest issues facing communities today and supporting some of society’s most disadvantaged people. They provide help and advice to those who want to give at the heart of their communities, both now and in the long term. How? By matching donors and partners to important local causes through a variety of different giving schemes, including legacy giving, donor advised funds, pooled funds, fundraising for local appeals and campaigns, and endowment funds.