Rothesay Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,912,000 (2021-2022)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: Varies - major grants include £2.47m
• Geographic Focus: England, Wales, and Scotland (expanding)

Contact Details

Email: info@rothesayfoundation.com

Phone: 020 7770 5300

Website: https://www.rothesay.com/foundation/

Overview

The Rothesay Foundation was established in 2019 by Rothesay, a UK pensions insurance specialist, and approved as a charity in 2020 (Charity Number: 1189490). The Foundation focuses on tackling material deprivation in the pension-age population across the UK, with an emphasis on enabling older people to live happy, safe, and fulfilling lives. With total expenditure of £1.9 million (2021-2022), the Foundation takes an “active funding” approach, providing not only financial support but also expertise in scaling organizations, data and technology support, awareness, research, and impact measurement. By the end of 2023, Rothesay set aside £7.7 million to fund future charitable projects. The Foundation operates independently through a Board of Trustees and partners strategically with charities to deliver significant impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Rothesay Foundation makes strategic grants of varying sizes, with recent examples including:

• Major Strategic Partnership: £2.47 million to Age UK (2024) to expand benefits check service
• Programme Extensions: £160,000 to extend Age UK service to Scotland and Wales (2025)
• Pilot Programmes: Prior pilot funding supported 4,500+ participants

The Foundation does not operate fixed grant rounds or standardized grant amounts. Instead, it develops bespoke partnerships aligned with its mission.

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses on tackling material depriviation for pension-age people across four key areas:

1. Housing – Ensuring older people have a warm, comfortable home with working facilities
2. Social Support – Helping older people maintain social interactions, such as travelling to see friends or family
3. Finance – Supporting older people to pay their bills or unexpected costs, such as replacing essentials
4. Basic Needs – Providing essential services such as three healthy meals a day, access to a telephone, or suitable clothing

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the Foundation's focus is specifically on:

• UK-based initiatives only (England, Wales, Scotland)
• Pension-age population (older people in need)
• Material deprivation issues

Projects outside these parameters would likely fall outside their remit.

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Governance and Leadership

The Rothesay Foundation is governed by an independent Board of six Trustees with extensive expertise across business, healthcare, and social sectors:

James Dickson, Chairman – Former Rothesay General Counsel who joined in 2009; previously a partner at Linklaters for 15 years

Tom Pearce, Trustee – Co-Founder and CEO of Rothesay; founded the company in 2007; previously worked in fixed income at Goldman Sachs

Terry Miller, Trustee – Chair of Rothesay's Customer Conduct Committee; non-executive director at multiple Goldman Sachs entities; previously Goldman Sachs partner and international general counsel

Hil Berg, Trustee – Over 25 years supporting corporate and social sector organizations as an independent consultant; previously led strategy at M&C Saatchi Life

Professor Dame Carol Black, Trustee – Government adviser on drug misuse; Chair of British Library and Centre for Ageing Better; former Principal of Newnham College, Cambridge

Addy Loudiadis, Trustee – Co-founder of Rothesay; former CEO (2007-2022); previous partner at Goldman Sachs

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

The Rothesay Foundation operates a partnership model rather than a traditional open grant application system. Organizations with proposals that align with the Foundation's mission should submit an expression of interest via email.

Email submissions should include:

• Applicant name
• Contact details
• Organization background
• Proposed partnership opportunity
• Timescales and desired outcomes
• Estimated funding required

Submit to: info@rothesayfoundation.com

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed and likely vary depending on the scale and nature of the proposed partnership. The Foundation appears to favor strategic, longer-term partnerships rather than one-off grants.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The Foundation takes a targeted partnership approach, suggesting they likely work with a smaller number of organizations on high-impact initiatives rather than funding many small grants.

Reapplication Policy

No public information is available regarding reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

The Rothesay Foundation's “active funding” approach suggests they are looking for partners who can benefit from more than just financial support. Based on their documented partnerships and priorities:

Demonstrate Measurable Impact: The Age UK partnership identified specific outcomes: 76% of participants were eligible for unclaimed benefits, with an average of £6,600 in annual benefits per eligible person. Applicants should provide clear, quantifiable metrics for their proposed work.

Alignment with Core Mission: Successful partnerships directly address material deprivation in the pension-age population across the Foundation's four priority areas (housing, social support, finance, basic needs).

Scalability Potential: The Foundation's support for Age UK specifically aimed to “expand” and “significantly scale” an already successful pilot programme. Demonstrate how initial success can be scaled with appropriate support.

Leverage Foundation Expertise: The Foundation offers data and technology support, expertise in scaling organizations, and impact measurement. Proposals should articulate how these non-financial resources could enhance programme delivery.

Strategic Partnerships: The Foundation appears to favor longer-term strategic partnerships over one-off grants. The Age UK partnership included initial pilot funding followed by major expansion funding (£2.47m in 2024, £160k in 2025), with projected impact through 2026.

Geographic Reach: While focused on England and Wales initially, the Foundation is expanding to Scotland, indicating interest in UK-wide impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Strategic partnerships over grants: The Foundation seeks high-impact partnerships where they can provide expertise, technology, and data support alongside funding
• Evidence of pilot success: Demonstrated track record with measurable outcomes significantly strengthens proposals (the Age UK pilot results directly led to £2.47m expansion funding)
• Focus on material deprivation: Ensure your work directly addresses housing, social support, finance, or basic needs for older people
• Scalability is key: Show how initial success can be expanded with appropriate resourcing
• Quantifiable impact: Be specific about projected outcomes and how you'll measure them
• Active funding model: Be prepared to engage with the Foundation beyond just receiving funds – they want to be active partners
• Email approach: Initial contact is informal via email to info@rothesayfoundation.com with proposal details

References

1. Rothesay Foundation official website - https://www.rothesay.com/foundation/
2. Rothesay Foundation Trustees page - https://www.rothesay.com/foundation/trustees/
3. Charity Commission Register - Rothesay Foundation (1189490) - https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/5159976
4. Rothesay Foundation Age UK Partnership page - https://www.rothesay.com/foundation/age-uk/
5. Rothesay newsroom: “Rothesay Foundation donates £2.47m to expand Age UK benefits check service” - https://www.rothesay.com/news/newsroom/rothesay-foundation-donates-247m-to-expand-age-uk-benefits-check-service/
6. Rothesay Environmental, Social and Governance - Giving Back page - https://www.rothesay.com/about-us/environmental-social-governance/giving-back/
7. Civil Society: “Meet the funder: Rothesay Foundation” - https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/fundraising/meet-the-funder-rothesay-foundation.html
8. Giving is Great Charity Factsheet - Rothesay Foundation - https://givingisgreat.org/database/charity-factsheet/?regNo=1189490