Booth Charities

Booth Charities is an historic endowed grant-making charity, originating from an 18th-century bequest by Humphrey Booth and governed by The Charities (Booth Charities) Order 1985. Its core mission is to enhance the welfare, education, health, and quality of life for Salford residents in Greater Manchester, particularly those facing disadvantage, hardship, or vulnerability. Rooted in local philanthropy, it emphasizes equity, public benefit, and sustainable community development, stewarding legacy assets through prudent investment to deliver enduring impact for current and future generations.

The charity funds a broad spectrum of general charitable purposes, including education and training, poverty relief, health advancement, disability support, religious activities, and amateur sport. It supports children and young people, elderly individuals, people with disabilities, local charities, voluntary groups, and those in need through grants for crisis aid, basic needs, educational access, health interventions, community facilities, and social inclusion initiatives like food poverty relief, mental health support, youth engagement, and care for older adults.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and community groups delivering services principally benefiting Salford inhabitants (with some extension to wider Lancashire), including grassroots organizations and established entities without specified income limits. Booth Charities operates invite-only, not accepting unsolicited applications; trustees make decisions at regular meetings based on advisory network recommendations, with no public deadlines, forms, or cycles. Grant sizes vary from small individual awards to larger organizational support covering project, core, capital costs, or direct aid, though exact ranges are undisclosed.

Distinctively ultra-local and generalist, it uniquely blends historic tradition with adaptability to contemporary needs, funding both individuals and organizations without rigid thematic exclusions beyond its Salford mandate, prioritizing collaborative, sustainable outcomes over narrow restrictions.