Marsh Christian Trust

The Marsh Charitable Trust (formerly Marsh Christian Trust), established in 1981 by Brian Marsh OBE, is a UK-based funder dedicated to sustaining small charities through unrestricted core funding and recognizing excellence via the prestigious Marsh Awards. Its founding ethos emphasizes long-term partnerships with organizations driving positive change in social welfare, environmental conservation and animal welfare, health and medical research, education and training, arts, literature, and heritage. Prioritizing operational resilience over project-specific directives, the Trust supports around 400 small UK charities annually, funding running costs like volunteer expenses, staff salaries, training, equipment, and maintenance for causes such as mental health (e.g., Mind), homelessness (St Mungo’s), refugee support, elder care, biodiversity, crafts, and arts education. The Marsh Awards, partnering with institutions like the British Museum and Royal Opera House, celebrate unsung volunteers and groups across 90+ categories in volunteering, community building, conservation, and culture.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities (England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) established for at least one year, typically with modest incomes under £1 million, providing recent annual reports/accounts. Community Interest Companies and non-UK entities are ineligible, though rare overseas grants occur in conservation.

Grants range from £300–£2,000 yearly (average £1,000), starting lower for new recipients with annual renewals possible. Unsolicited applications—via 1–2 page cover letter plus accounts, submitted by post—face no deadlines, reviewed monthly with decisions in ~2 months. Distinctively, the Trust avoids capital projects, startups, emergencies, individuals, churches, hospices, hospitals, or prescriptive themes, standing out for its flexible, bureaucracy-light support fostering small charity sustainability and sector morale through awards and enduring relationships.