Wilfrid and Constance Cave Foundation

The foundation funds a wide range of charitable activities, including education, arts, culture, heritage, science, health, community development, conservation, welfare, and animal welfare. It prioritises projects that benefit children, those facing medical hardship, vulnerable groups, local communities, and environmental causes. Grants support core costs, running costs, research, capital projects, and one-off initiatives. Examples of supported work include children's hospitals, air ambulances, school pastors, colleges, rivers trusts, and moorland conservation. The foundation has a strong preference for small to medium-sized grassroots charities based in England and Wales, especially in the South West and adjoining counties such as Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire.

The foundation works through trustee nominations and does not accept unsolicited applications. Eligible organisations are UK-registered charities and community groups, typically small to medium-sized and rooted in local communities. The foundation prioritises projects aiding children, those facing medical hardship, vulnerable groups, local communities, and environmental causes. While the focus is on the South West and adjoining counties, national charities occasionally qualify. The foundation's invite-only approach means that organisations cannot apply directly; instead, trustees identify potential partners through personal networks.

The foundation does not fund individuals. It also does not impose matched funding requirements on its grants. Furthermore, the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications; all funding is by invitation only through trustee nominations. This means that organisations cannot apply directly. The foundation avoids publicity and discourages grantees from publicising awards, reflecting its preference for quiet impact over fanfare.

The foundation operates on an invite-only basis, with grants awarded through trustee nominations rather than unsolicited applications. It funds a variety of cost types, including core costs, running costs, research, capital projects, and one-off initiatives. The foundation avoids matched funding requirements and favours a discreet, place-based partnership model aligned with the Cave family values. Grants are typically one-off or recurring, reflecting the trustees' long-term relationships with chosen charities.