The MSE Charity gives grants to UK not for profit organisations that deliver activities which make a lasting impact on how people think, behave and manage their money.
Latest News
May 2023
Our next grant round, Life Changing Transitions opens on Monday 4th September 2023. Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs.
The Application Form Questions are available to review in advance, for more support see our How to Apply page. Please note we close after the first 40 accepted applications have been accepted, so please apply as close to the opening date as possible, the last two grant rounds have closed mid month.
April 2023
10 project grants have been approved from our January grant round, Raising the Next Generation.
17th January 2023 3pm - Grant Round Update
Our grant round is now CLOSED.
Accepted applicants will be advised of the final outcome by Tuesday 21st March 2023. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
Our next grant round, Life Changing Transitions opens on Monday 4th September 2023.
12th January 2023 7pm - Grant Round Update
Our grant round will be closing early, the round is now over 85% full. Please make sure your application is completed and submitted by 3pm Monday 16th January.
Please note if your organisation applied in June 2022, you are not eligible to apply for this grant round. If in doubt please send us an email to check the status before you apply.
3rd January 2023
Our grant round is now open. If you have successfully taken our Eligibility Quiz, prepared your answers, please complete our online Application Form. Please remember the application form must be completed in one sitting.
The Application Form Questions are available to review in advance, for more support see our How to Apply page.
Please remember we ONLY accept applications electronically. The grant round closes on Tuesday 31st January at 5pm OR earlier if we have already accepted 40 applications.
We will post on this page Grant Round Updates giving at least 24 hours notice if we intend to close early. If we have closed the grant round early the application form will NOT be accessible for you to complete. If in doubt send us an email to check the status before you apply.
December 2022
Our next grant round, Raising the Next Generation opens at 9am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023. Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs.
The Application Form Questions are available to review in advance, for more support see our How to Apply page. Please note we close after the first 40 accepted applications have been accepted, usually this is the last week of the month, so don't panic if you don't get your application in on the 3rd January. If in doubt send us an email to check the status before you apply.
October 2022
Our next grant round, Raising the Next Generation opens at 9am on Tuesday 3rd January 2023. Check out the most recent projects we have funded under this category.
Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs. The Application Form Questions are available to review in advance, please see our How to Apply page.
September 2022
8 project grants have been approved from our Summer grant round, Developing Resilience.
28th June 2022 - 5.30pm
Our grant round is now CLOSED.
If you have applied in the last 5 days, your application is being processed, the Operations Manager will be in touch to advise if your application has been accepted into the grant round, at this stage a PDF printable copy of your application will be provided.
Accepted applicants will be advised of the final outcome by Wednesday 21st September 2022. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
Our next grant round, Raising the Next Generation opens on Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
24th June 2022 3pm - Grant Round Update
Our grant round will be closing early, the round is over 70% full. Please make sure your application is completed and submitted by 5pm Tuesday 28th June.
Please note we are not able to accept applications for personal hardship or emergency cash or energy top-ups.
20th June 2022
Our Grant round is now open. If you have successfully taken our Eligibility Quiz, prepared your answers, please complete our online Application Form (link now removed).
Please remember we ONLY accept applications electronically. The grant round closes on Friday 22nd July at 5pm OR earlier if we have already accepted 40 applications.
Please Note - We will post on this page Grant Round Updates giving at least 24 hours notice if we intend to close early. If we have closed the grant round early the application form will NOT be accessible for you to complete.
10th May 2022 - New Grant Round Update
In response to the Cost of Living Crisis, the Trustees have agreed to bring forward the usual September grant round to earlier in the summer. It will open on Monday June 20th and close on Friday 22nd July. The theme for this round is 'Developing Resilience' and will focus on supporting organisations who provide urgent money guidance and emergency debt help.
We have recently updated our grant criteria for this round, we can now fund organisations who have an annual income up to £750,000. Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs.
May 2022
9 project grants have been approved from our February grant round, Living with Long Term Challenges
Grant Round Update 25th February 2022 5:01 pm
Our grant round is now CLOSED.
Applicants will be advised of the outcome by Thursday 14th April 2022. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
Our next grant round, Building and Developing Resilience opens on Thursday 1st September 2022.
1st February 2022
Our Grant round is now open. If you have successfully taken our Eligibility Quiz, prepared your answers, please complete our online Application Form (link now removed).
Please remember we ONLY accept applications electronically. The grant round closes on Friday 25th February at 5pm OR earlier if we have already accepted 40 applications.
Please Note - We will post on this page Grant Round Updates giving at least 24 hours notice if we intend to close early. If we have closed the grant round early the application form will NOT be accessible for you to complete.
January 2022
Our next grant round, Living with Long Term Challenges opens at 9am on Tuesday 1st February 2022. Check out projects we have previously funded under this category.
Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs.
December 2021
12 project grants approved from our September grant round, Life Changing Transitions.
Grant Round Update 28th September 2021 17:15pm
Our grant round is now CLOSED. We have received and accepted 40 applications.
Applicants will be advised of the outcome by Monday 22nd November 2021. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
Our next grant round, Living with Long Term Challenges opens on Tuesday 1st February 2022.
Grant Round Update - 27th September 2021 11:30am
Our grant round will be closing early. Please make sure your application is completed and submitted by 5pm Tuesday 28th September.
1st September 2021
Our Grant round is now open. If you have successfully taken our Eligibility Quiz, prepared your answers, please complete our online Application Form (link now removed).
Please remember we ONLY accept applications electronically. The grant round closes on Thursday 30th September at 5pm or earlier if we have already accepted 40 applications. If we have closed the grant round early the application form will NOT be accessible for you to complete.
August 2021
Our next grant round, Life Changing Transitions opens at 9am on Wednesday 1st September. Check out projects we have previously funded under this category.
Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our How to Apply page.
May 2021
10 project grants have been approved from our February grant round, Raising the Next Generation.
Grant Round Update 24th February 2021 17:15pm
Our grant round is now CLOSED. We have received and accepted 40 applications.
Applicants will be advised of the outcome by Thursday 22nd April 2021. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
Our next grant round, Life Changing Transitions opens on Wednesday 1st September 2021.
Grant Round Update 24th February 2021 10:30am
Our grant round is CLOSING today, please make sure you have completed and submitted your application before 5pm.
1st February 2021
Our Grant round is now open. If you have successfully taken our Eligibility Quiz, prepared your answers, please complete our online Application Form. (link removed as now closed).
Please remember we ONLY accept applications electronically. The grant round closes on Friday 26th February at 5pm or earlier if we have already accepted 40 applications. If we have closed the grant round early the application form will NOT be accessible for you to complete.
January 2021
Our next grant round, Raising the Next Generation opens on Monday 1st February 2021. This grant round is targeting and supporting the younger generation who in the current difficult economic climate need support to develop and learn personal financial life skills.
Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs.
December 2020
9 project grants approved from our September themed round, Building & Developing Resilience.
23rd September 2020
Our Grant round is now CLOSED. We have received and accepted 40 applications.
Applicants will be advised of the outcome by Tuesday 24th November 2020. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
Our next grant round, Raising the Next Generation opens on Monday 1st February 2021.
1st September 2020
Our Grant round is now open. If you have successfully taken our Eligibility Quiz, prepared your answers, please complete our online Application Form.
Please remember we ONLY accept applications electronically. The grant round closes on Friday 25th September at 5pm or earlier if we have already accepted 40 applications. If we have closed the grant round early the application form will NOT be accessible for you to complete.
16th July 2020 - Grant Rounds Update
We are pleased to launch our next two grant rounds. We have kept our overarching themes for these, but modified the criteria due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The focus for September's round is supporting people who need the most help now, to build and develop financial resilience.
Our February 2021 grant round will focus on supporting young people under 25 to learn financial life skills, to enable them to grow and thrive in a difficult financial climate.
Our September grant round, Building & Developing Resilience, opens on Tuesday 1st September at 9 am. Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our funding Frequently Asked Questions.
18th June 2020 - Grant Applications Update
Due to the exceptional circumstances this year, we are currently reviewing our grant making criteria for the next two grant rounds.
We will be sharing in mid July updated guidance for our forthcoming September grant round. A link to the online application form will be available from this page on Tuesday 1st September 2020.
Please review our Funding Frequently Asked Questions for further info, if you still have a query, please do not hesitate to contact us.
4th June 2020
Money Saving Expert has collaborated with the Open University to provide a free online adult financial education course, MSE’s Academy of Money If you are looking for more personal finance resources, check out our updated Useful Links page.
1st April 2020 - Coronavirus Support - Useful Links
One of our current grantees Clean Slate who run Quids In Centres has responded to the crisis by providing an online Corona-Finance guide to help and support low income households.
Surviving Economic Abuse, another of our current grantees has written a new resource on spotting the signs of economic abuse (a type of domestic abuse) during the coronavirus outbreak.
Money Saving Expert's team are updating daily their Coronavirus Finance & Bills page which can provide help during these uncertain times.
26th March 2020
If you have applied to Martin Lewis's Coronavirus Poverty Relief fund, the contact email address is coronaviruscharityhelp@gmail.com. Please note this is NOT being administered by the MSE Charity.
If you need more help in sourcing funding during this difficult time, please review Ian McLintock's article which includes national, regional and global funders.
25th March 2020 - Coronavirus Update
Current Grantees
We want to reassure organisations we fund that we will continue to support you through this uncertain time, and that our funding is flexible and intended to help you deal with challenges.
Our grants are for specific projects, if you are concerned about anything around your grant, or want to make changes or have any queries please email us a succinct outline of your proposed changes and we will aim to respond to you promptly.
We have signed up to the Coronavirus funder statement published in full here.
Living with Long Term Challenges Grant Round
It is with great regret due to the exceptional circumstances that we have had to suspend this grant round. All applicants have been advised. We are operating in an environment that is alien to all of us and you our potential grantees are at the sharp end of this. By definition, much of the work we fund is face to face in nature, a methodology that is not appropriate in these challenging times. We do appreciate the time, effort and work that has been undertaken by applicants and we will keep you posted as to when we are able to re-start grant-making. Please check this page periodically for further updates.
23rd March 2020
Martin Lewis, our patron is releasing £1 million from his personal charity fund to support urgent small-charity coronavirus poverty relief.
The aim is to provide grants of £5,000 to £20,000 to small registered charities, or local arms of bigger charities, across the UK – to help with specific UK coronavirus-related poverty relief projects. Examples could include foodbanks, charities engaged in community aid, financial advice help and more. The hope is to get the money distributed within the next couple of weeks, and they are looking for projects that are up and running, or are in the process of being set up –they want to deliver help at speed.
The current deadline is Wednesday 25th March, click here for further details. Please note this is NOT being administered by the MSE Charity.
If you need more help in sourcing funding during this difficult time, please review Ian McLintock's article which includes national, regional and global funders.
28th February 2020
Our Grant round is now closed. Applicants will be advised of the outcome by Thursday 9th April 2020. If you have not heard from us by this date please get in touch.
January 2020
Our next grant round, Living with Long Term Challenges opens on Monday 3rd February 2020 at 9am. Not sure if your organisation can apply? Take our quick Eligibility Quiz now, and review our Funding FAQs.
Application Form Process Updated for 2020
We no longer require you to submit a separate Funding Proposal - all relevant information will be asked as questions in the online application form. You can review the new application questions here.
Please note there are now specified maximum word limits on answers to questions.
The application form CANNOT be saved and returned to, so please make sure you have your answers prepared in advance so that you can complete the application in one sitting.