Csis Charity Fund

Charity Number: 1121671

Annual Expenditure: £1.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £1,152,000 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Approximately 28% (31 organizations funded from invitation list of ~110 organizations historically supported)
  • Decision Time: 2-3 months (applications considered July-September)
  • Grant Range: £5,000 - £250,000
  • Geographic Focus: England and Wales
  • Total Giving (17 years): Nearly £12.5 million

Contact Details

Address: CSIS Charity Fund, 1st Floor, Gail House, Lower Stone Street, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6NB

Website: www.csischarityfund.org

Email: secretary@csischarityfund.org

Application Contact: Email the Secretary at secretary@csischarityfund.org to request an application form

Overview

The CSIS Charity Fund (registered charity 1121671) was established to relieve need, hardship and distress amongst serving, retired and former civil and public servants and their families. The charity is entirely funded by the Civil Service Insurance Society, a not-for-profit insurance provider that is bound by deed to donate all its annual profits to the charity. Over the past 17 years, this unique funding model has enabled the charity to donate nearly £12.5 million to support civil and public service communities. In 2024, the Fund achieved a record-breaking year with £1.152 million awarded to 31 organizations, made possible by a record £1.25 million donation from CSIS. The charity operates with limited administrative resources and focuses on making strategic grants that have clear and direct impact on their target beneficiary group.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The charity operates with a mixed approach:

  • Annual Grant Program: Invites approximately 21 charities to bid for funds each year (primarily major public sector charities that receive repeat funding)
  • Open Application Process: Accepts applications from registered charities and not-for-profit organizations throughout the year for project funding
  • Individual Support: Provides ongoing grants to widows/widowers of deceased CSIS policyholders (over £21,000 in 2024)

Grant amounts typically range from £5,000 to £250,000, with the largest grants going to major partner charities.

Priority Areas

Beneficiary Groups:

  • Civil servants (current, former, and retired)
  • Post and telecommunications workers
  • Prison and probation officers
  • NHS workers
  • Emergency service workers
  • Families and dependents of the above groups

Types of Support Funded:

  • Financial hardship relief
  • Respite care services
  • Befriending and loneliness support
  • Disability support
  • Support following job loss
  • Energy bill assistance
  • Hospice care
  • Children's educational and activity needs

Strategic Preferences:

  • Organizations without access to other substantial sources of income
  • Small, one-off grants that can make a real difference
  • Projects with clear and direct impact on serving or former/retired civil and public servants in need

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual applicants unless they are current CSIS policyholders or financially dependent on a deceased policyholder
  • Projects without clear connection to civil/public service communities
  • Organizations with substantial alternative income sources (preference given to smaller charities)

Recent Grant Recipients (2024)

Major Partners (Historical data 2008-2018):

  • Charity for Civil Servants: £2,735,762 (total); £250,000 (largest single grant); over £2m in last decade
  • Civil Service Retirement Fellowship: £674,870
  • BT Benevolent Fund: £613,000 (including £75,000 grant in 2018)
  • MOD Family Activity Breaks: £250,000

Local Charities Supported in 2024:

  • Wishing Hearts Charity
  • Kent MS Therapy Centre
  • Five Acre Wood School
  • Kent Search and Rescue
  • Willesborough School
  • Postal Family Fund (£20,000)
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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by 13 trustees who receive no remuneration and each have 'lead roles' for specific partner charities, maintaining regular contact to understand current challenges.

Key Trustees:

  • Debbie Terry (Chair): Former BT plc human resources professional with 30+ years' experience, managed BT Benevolent Fund for 11 years after retiring
  • Colin Birch (Deputy Chair): Insurance industry veteran since 1967, joined CSIS as Non-Executive Director in 2008
  • Lisa Ray (Grants Chair): 23-year Civil Service career, former CEO of Civil Service Pensioners' Alliance, specialist in charity fundraising efficiency
  • Kevin Holliday (Charity Secretary): Former CEO of Civil Service Insurance Society from 2005, oversaw nearly £10 million in charity donations
  • Charlie Cochrane: Former Secretary of Council of Civil Service Unions, joint Chair of Civil Service Appeal Board
  • Graham Hooper: 23 years in Civil Service including Head of Corporate Communications for Cabinet Office, former CEO of Charity for Civil Servants
  • Ray Flanigan: 32-year Civil Service career, former Chief Welfare Officer in Lord Chancellor's Department, previously seconded to Charity for Civil Servants
  • Michael Duggan: 20 years in Department of Health & Social Security, former General Secretary of Civil Service Pensioners' Alliance
  • Gaby Glasener-Cipollone: 20+ years in Financial Services Consulting, Executive Partner at IBM, former Trustee and Treasurer for homeless charity Groundswell
  • Judith Smith MBE: 17 years with Charity for Civil Servants
  • Sun-Hee Park: Finance lawyer with nearly 30 years' experience

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Organizations:

  1. Email the Secretary at secretary@csischarityfund.org to request an application form
  2. Download and review the full Grant Giving Policy from the website
  3. Complete the application form demonstrating clear and direct impact on civil/public servants in need
  4. Submit application via email to the Secretary

The charity operates two application pathways:

  • Invited Applications: The charity invites approximately 21 partner organizations to bid during their annual grant round
  • Open Applications: The charity accepts applications from any registered charity or not-for-profit organization that meets their eligibility criteria

Decision Timeline

Annual Grant Round:

  • July: Grant-making process begins, application forms sent to invited charities
  • August: Grants Committee meeting to consider all bids received
  • Mid-September: Agreed list of proposed grants presented to full Board for sign-off

Total timeline from application to decision: approximately 2-3 months

Organizations are notified of decisions following the September Board meeting.

Success Rates

  • In 2024, 31 organizations received funding
  • Historically (2008-2018), approximately 110 different organizations have been supported
  • The charity has limited funds and “cannot help every applicant”
  • Organizations without substantial alternative income sources are prioritized

Reapplication Policy

The charity maintains ongoing relationships with partner organizations, with many receiving repeat funding annually. Unsuccessful applicants are welcome to reapply, though the charity notes their funds are limited and they prioritize organizations without other substantial income sources.

Application Success Factors

Based on the charity's stated preferences and funding history:

  1. Clear Connection to Beneficiary Group: Applications must demonstrate “clear and direct impact on serving or former or retired civil and public servants in need, hardship and distress.” Be explicit about how many civil/public servants will benefit and how.
  1. Evidence of Need: Given their focus on “need, hardship and distress,” successful applications should demonstrate genuine hardship in the beneficiary group. Projects addressing illness, disability, loneliness, job loss, and financial crisis are prioritized.
  1. Small Organizations Preferred: The charity explicitly states “our strong preference is to support organisations that do not have access to other substantial sources of income.” Smaller charities with limited fundraising capacity may have an advantage.
  1. Make Small Grants Go Far: The charity prefers “small, one-off grants that can make a real difference.” Applications should demonstrate how a modest grant will have significant impact rather than requesting large sums.
  1. Understanding Limited Resources: The charity notes it has “limited administrative resources” and “cannot help every applicant.” Keep applications concise and straightforward. Don't expect extensive back-and-forth or application support.
  1. Build Relationships: With trustees maintaining 'lead roles' for partner charities and keeping in touch to understand challenges, relationship-building is important. Many funded organizations receive repeat grants year after year.
  1. Diverse Beneficiary Base: While Charity for Civil Servants receives the largest grants, the 2024 awards show support for diverse causes from hospices to schools to search and rescue. Don't assume only welfare charities qualify.
  1. Specific Target Groups: The charity has demonstrated particular interest in supporting post and telecoms workers, prison and probation officers, NHS workers, emergency services, and children's services connected to civil service families.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Dual pathway: The charity both invites known partners to apply AND accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organizations - don't assume you need an invitation to apply
  • Size matters: With annual giving of £1.15 million and preference for small grants to organizations without other funding, this is ideal for small-to-medium charities seeking £5,000-£50,000
  • Timing is predictable: The annual grant round operates July-September, making it easy to plan applications around this timeline
  • Unique funding source: Unlike most charities competing for donations, CSIS Charity Fund has guaranteed income from the insurance society's profits, providing funding stability
  • Relationship-focused: Trustees maintain ongoing contact with partner charities and many organizations receive repeat funding, suggesting relationship-building pays off long-term
  • Impact over infrastructure: With explicit preference for small organizations without other funding sources, avoid emphasizing your fundraising success or large reserves
  • Be specific about civil service connection: Don't assume the connection is obvious - clearly quantify how many civil/public servants will benefit and explain why they are experiencing hardship

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