Merchants House Of Glasgow

The Merchants House supports causes including food and fuel poverty, healthy living, social inclusion, physical and mental health, disability, and community development. Priority is given to work that tackles food and fuel poverty, promotes healthy living, and encourages social inclusion. Grants are directed to charities operating in Glasgow and the surrounding local authority areas of East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. A separate programme assists individuals with health-related needs across the west of Scotland, focusing on physical health, mental health, and disability.

Registered charities based and working in Glasgow and the surrounding area are the primary applicants for the main grant programme. The Merchants House prefers smaller organisations that are deeply embedded in their communities. Additionally, a distinct fund supports individual applicants who have been domiciled in the west of Scotland for at least five years and are affected by physical or mental health conditions or disability. Beneficiaries of the funder's work include disabled people, elderly individuals, and those experiencing poverty or social exclusion.

Through its individual support programme, the Merchants House does not fund cancer, congenital disorders, non-severe diabetes, mental illness arising from drug abuse, non-severe asthma, or accident-related conditions. Organisations working outside the specified geographic areas are not supported. The main grant programme is limited to registered charities and does not extend to non-charitable entities or activities beyond its stated causes.

The Merchants House offers flexible funding, often for core costs or unrestricted use, and prefers to support direct services that create meaningful, visible change in local neighbourhoods. It welcomes unsolicited applications and aims to fill gaps that other funders may overlook. Grants are typically one-off or multi-year, with a focus on smaller charities delivering lasting impact.