Sussex Masonic Charitable Foundation, CIO

The Foundation supports health and wellbeing through hospices providing respite and palliative care for elderly people with dementia and complex needs, and hospital initiatives that comfort children in distress. Its poverty relief grants fund food banks tackling food insecurity, financial hardship, and isolation. Education advancement includes scout groups and youth organisations offering mentoring, outdoor activities, skills training, after-school clubs, and employability support for young people at risk of exclusion. Community welfare grants cover therapeutic activities, peer support groups, and day services that strengthen social cohesion for carers, disabled people, and those experiencing isolation. Interventions emphasise preventative relief, person-centred care, and holistic wellbeing. The Foundation prioritises Sussex, including East and West Sussex and Brighton and Hove, favouring established organisations with strong community connections.

Registered charities and community groups based in Sussex can apply, with priority given to organisations rooted in local communities and serving Sussex residents. The Foundation particularly supports work benefiting elderly people with complex health needs, children in distress, young people at risk of exclusion, carers, disabled individuals, and those facing poverty or isolation. It also prioritises Sussex Freemasons, their dependents, and families in financial or health crises. Applicants should show strong community connections, evidence-based approaches, and clear local benefit. There is no religious restriction attached to funding.

The Foundation does not fund non-charitable activities, national organisations without clear ties to Sussex, or projects lacking proven local community benefit. Work that falls outside its stated charitable purposes of relieving sickness, advancing education, and preventing poverty is also unlikely to be supported.

The Foundation favours partnership-style grantmaking, often working with local Masonic lodges and Freemason-nominated causes through match-funding arrangements. It values collaboration between Masonic and voluntary sector organisations and supports established groups with strong community connections. Unsolicited applications are welcome, with funding directed to projects that show tangible welfare outcomes.