The Commonwealth Foundation (CF) is an intergovernmental organisation that was established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1966, a year after its sister organisation, the Commonwealth Secretariat. The foundation is located at Marlborough House in London, a former royal palace which was assigned for the use of these Commonwealth institutions by Queen Elizabeth II, the former Head of the Commonwealth. As the Commonwealth agency for civil society, the foundation is funded by 49 member states to support participatory governance through its programmes. The foundation provides resources, grants and access to platforms to encourage better engagement between civil society and institutions of governance. Membership of the Commonwealth Foundation is voluntary and is separate from membership of the Commonwealth of Nations.
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Commonwealth Foundation in the context of Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an international association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of its predecessor, the British Empire. They are connected through their use of the English language and their cultural and historical ties. Its chief institutions are the Commonwealth Secretariat, focusing on intergovernmental relations, and the Commonwealth Foundation, focusing on non-governmental relations between member nations. Additionally, numerous intergovernmental and civil organisations operating amongst the Commonwealth countries are officially recognised by the Secretariat.
The Commonwealth dates back to the first half of the 20th century, with the decolonisation of the Empire through the increased self-governance of its territories. It was created as the British Commonwealth of Nations through the Balfour Declaration at the 1926 Imperial Conference, and formalised by the United Kingdom through the Statute of Westminster in 1931. In 1949, the London Declaration allowed India to remain in the Commonwealth as a republic, marking a significant evolution for the association.