Backing community businesses and local people to make their ideas happen

We believe that local communities have the power to spark real, lasting change. That’s why we partnered with Power to Change to launch the Community Business Crowdmatch, designed to help community-driven businesses grow and thrive.

Power to Change is a "think-do tank" founded in 2015 with an endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund. The partnership between Crowdfunder and Power to Change aimed to empower local community businesses across the UK. This initiative provided businesses with match funding, significantly enhancing the amount raised by the crowd. The collaboration was designed to help community businesses that foster local regeneration, provide essential services, or create jobs. 

Through this fund, Crowdfunder and Power to Change enabled businesses to amplify their impact, making it easier to overcome financial barriers and achieve sustainability.

Eligible businesses typically had a strong social purpose, were locally rooted, and sought to be accountable to the communities they served. By combining local crowdfunding with match funding from Power to Change, these businesses could access the resources needed to grow. This innovative approach not only provided financial support but also helped raise their profile within the community, attracting more supporters.

The Real Junk Food Cafe

The Real Junk Food Project Brighton is an inspiring initiative that tackles both food waste and food insecurity by intercepting surplus food and turning it into healthy meals for the community. They rescue over 10 tonnes of food each month, which would otherwise end up in landfills, and serve it in pop-up lunch cafés to over 500 people. 

Operating on a “pay as you feel” basis, the cafés ensure accessibility for all, while the project also offers job training to people facing barriers to employment, such as mental health challenges, addiction recovery, or ex-offenders.

In 2019, the team had the chance to lease a permanent space offered by the Infinity Food Co-operative in Brighton. To cover their set-up and refurbishment costs, they launched a crowdfunding campaign, aiming to raise £25,000. 

Their community of supporters rallied behind them, donating a total of £29,322, including £6,000 from Power to Change’s Community Business Crowdmatch fund. This financial boost allowed them to move forward with the café, which uses surplus food to create vegetarian and vegan meals.

The crowdfunded café not only helps reduce food waste but also serves as a hub for social good, providing employment opportunities and engaging the local community. 

The Gregson

The Gregson, a creative and cultural hub in Lancaster, has been a vital part of the community for over 30 years. When COVID-19 forced its closure, its future seemed uncertain, with no income for over a year. 

Determined to keep it alive, a team of volunteers and trustees worked tirelessly to renovate the building and transition it into a community business that reinvests its profits locally. They aimed to offer creative activities, re-open the café and pub, and provide a vibrant social space for residents.

To make this vision a reality, the team launched a Crowdfunder campaign to raise £20,000, with support from Power to Change’s Community Business Crowdmatch, which offered up to £10,000 in matched funding. They leveraged social media, especially videos from local musicians and supporters, to generate excitement and bring in donations. The campaign was a huge success, raising £27,868 from 319 supporters, including the £10,000 in match funding.

This funding allowed The Gregson to complete its renovations and reopen to the public, offering a wide range of activities, including dance classes and martial arts for beginners. The Crowdfunder not only raised money but also reinvigorated the community’s engagement, with many people showing renewed interest in volunteering and getting involved with the centre’s future. 

Thanks to the generosity of the crowd and +Extra funding, The Gregson is once again a thriving hub of activity, serving the Lancaster community for generations to come.

Global Grooves

Global Grooves is a charitable Community Benefit Society based in Tameside, Greater Manchester, focused on bringing Carnival arts to communities in the UK. They work with world-class artists to provide young people and communities with opportunities to develop artistic skills and leadership capabilities. 

Their flagship youth leadership scheme, Future Leaders, has helped 160 talented individuals over seven years by offering life-changing experiences in artistic development and cultural leadership.

To date, they have raised over £181,000 from 187 supporters, along with match funding from various partners, including the British Airways Better World Community Fund and £7,500 from the Community Business Crowdmatch. 

Global Grooves emphasizes the importance of creativity and community change, rooted in the founders' shared passion for the arts. Following challenges from the Covid pandemic, they prioritize reconnecting young people through creative opportunities.

The fund’s success is reflected in a shared commitment to enhancing community-led entrepreneurship, helping to create stronger, more resilient local economies throughout the UK.

Enhance the power of your personal giving and leave a lasting impact for causes that you care about with the Crowdfunder Foundation.