Trusthouse Charitable Foundation

Forte Charitable Foundation (formerly Trusthouse Charitable Foundation), established in 1997 from the sale of Trust House Forte plc, is an independent UK grantmaker sustained by endowment investments. It focuses on alleviating disadvantage and deprivation by empowering vulnerable, isolated communities in the UK's most deprived urban (bottom 15%) and rural (bottom 50%) areas. Championing small to medium-sized, locally rooted charities, it prioritises grassroots solutions that build opportunity, reduce isolation, and foster inclusion through funding health and wellbeing, mental health, family support (including early intervention for addiction or incarceration), children and families, arts, education, heritage, and social welfare initiatives. Beneficiaries include those in poverty, crisis families, prisoners' relatives, and communities affected by drug/alcohol misuse, with support for revenue costs, core salaries, projects, and capital.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities with up to £250,000 income for Small Grants or £500,000 for Major Grants, at least one year's accounts, up-to-date governance/safeguarding policies, and a proven track record of local engagement. Organisations must operate in priority deprived areas (verified via postcode quiz), excluding new entities, umbrellas, or those with reserves over 12 months' costs. Applications are unsolicited via online portal on a rolling basis: Small Grants (£2,000–£10,000/year, up to 12 months, decisions in 8 weeks); Major Grants (£10,000–£100,000 over up to 3 years, two-stage process, submitted 3 months before quarterly trustee meetings in Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct, 12–15 weeks total).

It excludes campaigning, endowments, and retrospective costs, capping funding at 50% of project budgets. Distinctive for its Forte legacy, stable trustee board, proportionate impact reporting, and long-term relationships via site visits, it stands out as a reliable backer of overlooked frontline charities delivering measurable, sustainable change in Britain's hardest-hit localities.