Messenger Of Saint Anthony Uk

Charity Number: 1180228

Annual Expenditure: £0.2M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £190,000 (UK, 2023); Global network distributed €3.6M across 125 projects in 2023
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation/discretion-based funding)
  • Decision Time: Not specified (projects selected through Franciscan networks)
  • Grant Range: £20,000 - £80,000 (UK grants in 2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Global, with strong focus on Africa; also supports UK projects

Contact Details

Messenger of Saint Anthony UK

  • Website: www.santantonio.org
  • Email: MESSENGER.UK@SANTANTONIO.ORG (also info.messengeruk@santantonio.org)
  • Phone: +390498225830
  • Operating Address: Basilica del Santo, Via Orto Botanico 11, 35123 Padova, Italy
  • Charity Number: 1180228 (England and Wales)

Overview

Messenger of Saint Anthony UK was registered in 2018 as a charity in England and Wales, founded by the Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, Italy. The charity continues Saint Anthony's legacy of love and compassion through two primary activities: publishing and distributing the Messenger of Saint Anthony magazine (published since 1898) and making grants to charitable projects globally.

As of their latest accounts (2024), the charity had a total income of £904,487 from donations and legacies, with expenditure of £469,980 on charitable activities. The organization is part of a global network that supports approximately 150 projects annually, reaching around one million people with essential services including education, healthcare, water access, and vocational training. The charity operates with the support of UK magazine subscribers and donors who contribute to both UK-based and international projects focused on relieving poverty and advancing health, education, and community development.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The charity does not operate fixed grant programs with set amounts. Instead, funding is allocated through trustee discretion based on needs identified through the Franciscan network. Recent UK grants (2023) included:

  • Cardinal Hume Centre: £20,000 (homelessness support in UK)
  • June 13 Project: £80,000 (varies annually; 2023 focused on school in Diphu, India; 2024 on Kolbe Medical Centre, Burkina Faso)
  • Medical Equipment, Kenya: £20,000 (Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Nyeri)
  • Pilgrim Reception Program: £50,000 (Basilica of Saint Anthony, Padua)
  • Saint Anthony Exhibition: £20,000 (Basilica maintenance)

Priority Areas

The charity focuses on reaching “the poorest of the poor” through:

  • Healthcare: Medical equipment, hospital construction, health centers
  • Education: Schools, educational materials, access to education for marginalized children
  • Housing and Infrastructure: Building projects for vulnerable communities
  • Community Development: Sustainable projects providing employment and social empowerment
  • Water Access: Wells and clean water projects
  • Vocational Training: Skills development for youth and women
  • Homelessness: UK-based support for vulnerable populations

Geographic Focus: Africa receives the largest share (79 of 125 global projects in 2023, approximately €1.3M). Projects extend to conflict zones and regions with severe social challenges, often facilitated through networks of Franciscan monasteries and collaborations with local religious and lay organizations.

What They Don't Fund

Information about explicit exclusions is not publicly documented. However, the charity's mission is specifically focused on relieving poverty and advancing health, education, and community development in alignment with Christian faith and the teachings of Saint Anthony of Padua.

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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by 7 trustees. No trustees receive remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity. The organization has no trading subsidiaries and no employees earning over £60,000.

Key Leadership:

  • Director of St. Anthony's Charities (Global): Conventual Franciscan Friar Valerio Folli oversees the project selection and distribution process for the global network based in Padua

The charity operates as part of a broader international network including:

  • St. Anthony's Charities (Caritas Sant'Antonio ONLUS) - Padua, Italy
  • Anthonian Association of the USA
  • Saint Anthony of Padua Mission Aid (SAPMA) - Canada

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion and the Franciscan network. According to Caritas Sant'Antonio (the parent organization in Padua): “Projects were launched on the basis of requests coming from local communities.” The process involves:

  1. Community-initiated requests: Projects are requested specifically by the communities themselves
  2. Network facilitation: Projects are often facilitated through Franciscan friaries and monasteries or collaborations with local lay and religious organizations
  3. Verification: Staff register all requests for help, verify them, establish contacts, and check documents
  4. Monitoring: Staff follow different phases of projects and demand regular updates until final reports certifying project completion
  5. Development strategy: The approach is “aimed at development rather than simple assistance”

The charity emphasizes that projects are “tailor made for the local communities” rather than following a standardized application format.

Getting on Their Radar

The Messenger of Saint Anthony UK charity operates through the Conventual Franciscan network, specifically:

  • Franciscan Connections: Projects are primarily identified through the network of Conventual Franciscan friaries and monasteries worldwide, particularly those connected to the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua
  • Local Religious Partnerships: The charity works with local religious brothers, sisters, and nonprofit organizations already working with vulnerable populations
  • Community-Led Requests: The organization responds to requests from communities themselves, suggesting that organizations with existing connections to Franciscan communities or Catholic development networks are most likely to be funded
  • Contact through Parent Organization: Since the UK charity is administered from Padua, organizations seeking funding should contact info.messengeruk@santantonio.org to inquire about the process for submitting project proposals

Decision Timeline

Not publicly specified. Given that projects require verification, document checking, and monitoring, organizations should expect the process may take several months.

Success Rates

Not available. The charity does not publish information about how many requests they receive versus how many are funded.

Reapplication Policy

Not specified in public materials.

Application Success Factors

Since this charity operates through discretionary grant-making rather than a competitive application process, the following factors appear critical based on their documented practices:

  • Franciscan Network Connections: Projects connected to Conventual Franciscan communities or Catholic charitable organizations appear to have stronger pathways to funding
  • Community-Led Development: The charity explicitly states they fund projects that are “requested specifically by the communities themselves” with “a strategy aimed at development rather than simple assistance”
  • Alignment with Priority Areas: Projects focused on healthcare, education, water access, vocational training, and community development for the poorest populations
  • Geographic Focus on Africa: With 79 of 125 projects in Africa in 2023, organizations working in African countries (especially in conflict zones or areas with severe social challenges) appear to receive priority
  • Sustainable Impact: The charity states they “fund sustainable projects” that provide long-term benefits rather than temporary relief
  • Verification and Monitoring Capability: Organizations must be able to provide documentation, regular updates, and final project reports
  • Catholic/Christian Mission Alignment: The charity exists “to promote and advance the Christian faith in sympathy with the ethics and teachings of Saint Anthony of Padua”

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This charity does not accept unsolicited applications through a standard process; funding is awarded through trustee discretion and the Franciscan network
  • Organizations should establish relationships with Conventual Franciscan communities or contact the charity directly to inquire about submitting project proposals
  • Projects must be community-led, focused on sustainable development, and aligned with serving “the poorest of the poor”
  • Africa receives the largest share of funding; projects in conflict zones or areas with severe social challenges are prioritized
  • The charity emphasizes development over simple assistance, requiring projects that create lasting change
  • Organizations must demonstrate capacity for documentation, verification, and ongoing project reporting
  • While the UK charity is registered in England and Wales, it is operated from Padua, Italy, as part of a global Franciscan charitable network

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