The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) supports charities in England and Wales working with disadvantaged children, young people, and vulnerable older people through its small and large grant programmes.
Priority Groups
The Foundation funds charities working with:
- Early Years (0-5 years) – Focus on poverty and neglect
- Children affected by Domestic Abuse – Ages 0-18 years
- Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) – Ages 0-25 years
- People with Dementia and their carers – Currently paused and closed to new applications
Family or carer support may be included as long as the ultimate beneficiaries are children and young people.
Two Grant Programmes
Small Grants
- For charities with annual income between £25,000 and £500,000
- Unrestricted funding (no specific purpose required)
- £1,000 to £5,000 per year, for up to three years
- Total grant must not exceed 20% of the charity’s average income over the past two years
Large Grants
- For charities with annual income between £500,000 and £5 million
- Restricted funding for specific projects with defined goals and budgets
- £10,000 to £60,000 total, spread over one to three years
- Preference for multi-year funding (one-year grants only in exceptional circumstances)
- Can be spent on salaries, equipment, training, monitoring, and administration
Eligibility Requirements
Charities must:
- Be registered with the Charity Commission or relevant registry in Guernsey, Jersey, or Isle of Man
- Have beneficiaries in England and Wales
- Have at least one year of independently examined or audited accounts published
What They Don’t Fund
- Arts, heritage, environmental, or animal welfare projects
- Statutory obligations or routine delivery of the National Curriculum
- Political or lobbying activities
- Capital projects, building repairs, or hospital equipment
- Religious doctrine promotion or general appeals
- Retrospective funding or academic research
Who Cannot Apply
- Current MCF grant holders
- Charities whose previous grant ended less than 2 years ago
- Those who submitted an expression of interest within the last 12 months
- Social enterprises, CICs, exempt charities, or umbrella organisations
- Hospices (see separate Hospice programme), schools, nurseries, hospitals (for routine delivery), churches, or individuals
How to Apply
Visit the Masonic Charitable Foundation website for full details and to submit your application.
Read more and apply: The Masonic Charitable Foundation (mcf.org.uk)