Michael Crawford Children's Charity

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £80,000 (typical grant expenditure)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (rolling basis)
• Grant Range: £1,000+ (grants below £1,000 not listed in accounts)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales

Contact Details

Address: Regina House, 124 Finchley Road, London NW3 5JS

Phone: 020 7433 2400

Email: Not available

Website: Not available

Note: The charity does not maintain a website or email address. Applications must be submitted in writing.

Overview

The Michael Crawford Children's Charity was founded in 1994 by actor, singer and comedian Michael Crawford CBE. Registered with the Charity Commission under number 1042211, the charity focuses on promoting charitable purposes for the benefit of children and young people, with particular emphasis on the relief of sickness and poverty. Since its establishment, the charity has helped numerous individuals with the provision of medical equipment and funded medical treatment, as well as making grants to other children's charities. With total income of £125,228 and expenditure of £178,431 in the financial year ending 31 October 2024, the charity typically distributes around £80,000 annually in grants. The charity makes a limited number of grants each year, often to the same organisations, and considers each request on its individual merits.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The charity operates a single discretionary grant program with rolling applications:

• Charitable Organisation Grants: £1,000+ (grants below this threshold are not listed in annual accounts)
• Individual Grants: Occasionally awarded for medical equipment and treatment (few grants of this type)
• Application Method: Rolling basis, applications accepted at any time in writing

Priority Areas

• Children and young people disadvantaged through poverty
• Children and young people suffering from ill-health or disability
• Provision of medical equipment for individual children
• Funding for medical treatment
• Services and activities delivered by UK registered charities that benefit disadvantaged children and young people

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the charity focuses exclusively on children and young people affected by poverty and/or illness.

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees:

• Michael Crawford CBE (Chair) - Founder, actor, singer and comedian; also serves as President of The Sick Children's Trust since 1987
• Natasha Macaller (Trustee, appointed 07 November 2013)
• Kenneth Peter Dias FCA (Trustee)
• Alan Clark (Trustee)

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

Governance Structure: The charity is constituted as a trust, governed by a trust deed dated 18 April 1994. It has been registered with the Charity Commission since 19 November 1994 and maintains policies on complaints, financial reserves, risk management, safeguarding, and serious incident reporting. The charity has consistently submitted its annual returns and accounts on time.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications may be made at any time in writing, addressed to:

Michael Crawford CBE, Chair

The Michael Crawford Children's Charity

Regina House

124 Finchley Road

London NW3 5JS

Important: The charity does not maintain a website or provide an email address. All applications must be submitted by post. The charity accepts unsolicited applications from both registered charities and individuals.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the year with no fixed deadlines.

Success Rates

The charity considers requests for grant aid from numerous charities and individuals but does not publish statistics on the number of applications received or success rates. The charity makes a limited number of grants annually, often to the same organisations.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. The charity considers each request on its respective merits.

Application Success Factors

Based on the charity's stated purposes and approach, the following factors are relevant:

• Focus on disadvantage: Applications should clearly demonstrate how the project benefits children and young people who are specifically disadvantaged through poverty and/or ill-health
• Merit-based assessment: The charity considers each request on its individual merits rather than following rigid criteria
• Established relationships: The charity tends to make grants “often to the same organisations,” suggesting that building a relationship over time may be advantageous
• Clarity of need: For individual applications, clear documentation of the need for medical equipment or treatment is likely important
• UK registered charities: Organisational applicants must be UK registered charities
• Direct benefit to children: Projects should have a clear and direct benefit to children and young people

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Traditional approach: This is a traditionally-run charity with no online presence - all communication must be by post or phone
• Discretionary grant-making: The charity takes a case-by-case approach rather than following formulaic criteria, so clearly articulating the specific merits of your request is essential
• Repeat funding pattern: The charity often supports the same organisations annually, suggesting that successful first-time applicants may have opportunities for ongoing support
• Dual focus: The charity supports both organisational and individual applications, though individual grants are less common
• Modest scale: With around £80,000 in annual grant expenditure, this is a small to medium-sized funder making a limited number of grants each year
• Poverty and ill-health: Both themes must relate specifically to children and young people - ensure applications clearly demonstrate impact on this beneficiary group
• Transparency: Grant recipients receiving £1,000 or more are listed in the charity's annual accounts (page 13), which are publicly available on the Charity Commission website

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: Michael Crawford Children's Charity (1042211) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1042211&subid=0
• Charity Commission Full Print Record for Charity 1042211 - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1042211/full-print
• Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum: The Michael Crawford Children's Charity - https://cornwallvsf.org/supporting/funding/the-michael-crawford-childrens-charity/
• Bath and North East Somerset Council: The Michael Crawford Children's Charity - https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/node/87396
• Charity Commission: Accounts and Annual Returns for Charity 1042211 - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1042211/accounts-and-annual-returns