Helping Foundation

The Helping Foundation, registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (number 1104484), is a substantial UK endowment-based funder deriving primary resources from investment income exceeding £25 million annually, enabling over £15 million in grants each year. Established to advance broad charitable objects—including general purposes, education and training, poverty relief, and religious activities—it embodies a generalist ethos of stewardship, balancing immediate impact with long-term sustainability through prudent endowment management. Governed by five trustees, it prioritizes enduring public benefit across diverse sectors without niche focus, strategic campaigns, or published theories of change.

It supports a wide array of UK charities with unrestricted grants for operational costs, programmes, service delivery, educational initiatives, poverty alleviation, and religious work, favouring established medium-to-large organizations that align with its statutory objects. There are no thematic exclusions beyond non-charitable activities, making it flexible for various beneficiary groups and project types UK-wide.

Eligible applicants must be UK-registered charities based in the UK, with a preference for those of medium-to-large scale rather than small grassroots groups. It does not accept unsolicited applications; all funding is awarded at trustee discretion without public guidelines, processes, deadlines, or application rounds—decisions occur ad hoc throughout the year. Typical grants range from tens of thousands to several million pounds, though exact amounts are not disclosed. Distinctively, its classical model differentiates it from innovation-driven or open-call funders, positioning it as a stable, high-capacity source for core charitable support rather than targeted interventions.