Philanthropists could be offered more than £3 to support local community groups for each £1 they donate themselves under Government plans to promote local charitable giving.

Community foundations are experts in revitalising local communities through effective charitable giving.

Over the last 16 years well over 12,000 private sector donors have used the services of a community foundation to make sure that their giving has been invested to make the lasting difference that they wanted to see.

Community foundations now manage close to £200m of committed endowed giving and it is estimated that most people in the UK will live or work within 20 miles of a charitable project that a community foundation has supported.

Worcestershire Community Foundation is to bid to run the scheme locally, which is part of a £50m national challenge programme.

Chairman Martin Gallagher says experience from Community Foundations around the country shows the scheme could raise over a million pounds for local charities and community projects in Worcestershire.

The guidance for the planned endow-ment challenge programme, published last week by the Office for the Third Sector, is designed to encourage philanthropists to support small community projects.

Under the new scheme potential donors will be offered a direct cash incentive to give money to help build up large cash funds on behalf of communities.

The income that these funds generate will then be used to ensure long term, sustainable, financial support for local groups and projects.

Running until March 2011, under the rules proposed for the scheme, higher rate taxpayers could see their net gifts increase over three times, as gift aid is topped up by up to £1 of government money for every £1 given.

The rules of the scheme are being studied to ensure that as many donations as possible qualify for this benefit.

The Chief Executive of Worcestershire Community Foundation, Martin Gallagher said: "This is a remarkable initiative with the potential to transform local charitable giving.

"Sixteen years ago a similar programme of just £2m was set up and the three community foundations involved are now generating well over £3m for charitable investment in their areas every year."

Worcestershire Community Foundation has already provided support to over twenty groups across the county on behalf of Sports Aid.

This year the Worcestershire Partnership and a dedicated group of trustees will be seeking local philanthropists who have decided they want to give something back to the community.

Groups supported from our initial Sports Aid funding have mainly been young people who wish to develop their sports activities.

To promote awareness of the Worcestershire Community Foundation, two major events are planned for 2008 with the support of the Worcestershire Ambassadors.

The first will be on Sunday, May 18, with an "posh" car boot sale on the Madresfield Estate at Malvern with Lady Morrison's support. The second will be a grand ball on Saturday, October 4, at the Ramada Heath Hotel in Bewdley.