Matthew Bowcock

Chair of Local Means Ltd

Matthew Bowcock was until recently chair of UK Community Foundations (previously the Community Foundation Network). His background is in technology entrepreneurship, company start-up, international marketing, venture capital and company directorship. Since 2005 he has been working almost exclusively to develop a new culture of engaged philanthropy in Britain.

After a Law degree he entered the computer industry and worked for international companies in the UK and Australia before setting up a software business in Australia in 1989. In 1996 he moved to Silicon Valley and in 1998 merged the company and listed on the London Stock Exchange and subsequently on NASDAQ. After leaving the company in 2000 he was a private investor in a number of technology and biotech companies.

In 2000, he established the Hazelhurst Trust, a family charitable trust, and through his local Community Foundation became engaged with community philanthropy. Since 2005 he has focussed on growing philanthropy and for the past five years has chaired UK Community Foundations, the national body that links the 56 Community Foundations. He is a trustee of the Beacon Awards and a member of the Big Society Capital advisory board and was a founding director of Localgiving.com and a member of the Philanthropy Review Board. He recently prepared a report for the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the future of Digital Giving in the Arts.