In the 1990s the Goedgedacht Trust, working in the West Coast since 1992, identified a need for a local organisation that could play a role in the West Coast region by supporting the myriad local initiatives at grassroots level that aimed to improve the quality of life of vulnerable members of the community.

Through a consultative process the community foundation model was presented to over fifty community organisations in 1999 and they gave Goedgedacht a mandate to proceed with the establishment of the community foundation.

West Coast Community Foundation was incubated by Goedgedacht with management   board members acting as volunteers, and was   registered as a non profit organisation in 2001. Now, 7 years later, the Foundation is firmly established and performing the activities for which it was set up.

The WCCF gives grants to local good causes that make a real difference to the lives of the most vulnerable sectors of our community. This is made possible by our generous donors who enabled the Foundation to start the grant making programme in 2005 and   to continue to build up our training programmes which strengthen and empower local community organisations in their work.

The Foundation has developed the appropriate expertise that enables us also to be a partner to individuals and organisations that are able   to commit resources   to community development and charitable cause in the West Coast in a way that guarantees results.

A major thrust of the Foundation's work is to promote philanthropy and local support for community development initiatives in the West Coast region.

Community foundations are local organisations dedicated to strengthening local communities in the geographic areas in which they operate, in order to   make a   difference to the lives of local people especially vulnerable people. Community foundations   manage funds donated by individuals and organisations, by investing funds in order to achieve capital growth   and by acting as the vital link between donors and local needs, connecting people with causes, thus enabling donor partners   to achieve far more than they could ever if working in isolation.

Community foundations are independent and respond to genuine need. Community Foundations   provide expert advice and possess thorough local knowledge. By combining these resources the Foundation tries to ensure that   giving makes a lasting impact in the area that the community   cares   about most.

Community foundations are a growing phenomenon throughout the world. West Coast Community Foundation is a member of the South African Community Foundations (SACOFA) which has 6 members to date. They operate in the Western Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and   the Northwest.