The Master Charitable Trust
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Trust's largest share of donations goes to arts, culture, heritage and science, followed by education, so a project in those fields is the closest fit.
- Its grant policy covers UK-registered charities and organisations supporting charitable purposes for public benefit, and its stated focus is international with the UK as priority, so a UK registered charity is eligible, though overseas bodies face more extensive checks on charitable status, regulatory standing and public benefit.
- No application process is published and no grant range is stated, so use the contact shown to ask how requests are handled and what size of grant is usual before you put a figure in your request.
- Because each donor holds a named sub-fund, ask early who decides on a request.
Overview
The Master Charitable Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1139904).
The Master Charitable Trust was established as a donor advised fund and exists to give donors a professionally governed, simple and cost-effective way to meet their philanthropic objectives. Each donor has their own named sub-fund, known as a 'Giving Fund', and the Trust awarded £172,604,000 in grants. Its giving is broad, with arts, culture, heritage or science accounting for the largest share, followed by education.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The Trust provides a professionally governed, simple and cost-effective way for donors to meet philanthropic objectives and support grant making. It supports a wide variety of UK charitable causes and, on occasion, international grantees. Its grant policy covers UK-registered charities and organisations supporting charitable purposes for public benefit. A proportionate due-diligence process checks each beneficiary's charitable status, regulatory standing and public benefit; overseas bodies or individuals receive more extensive checks. The fields supported are broad, with advancement of arts, culture, heritage or science accounting for the largest share of donations, followed by education. It operates as a donor-advised fund in the United Kingdom.
Themes
- Arts, culture, heritage, science
- Education
Geographic Focus
International. Priority: UK.
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or other pages about it. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
Who can apply:
- UK registered charities or organisations supporting charitable purposes for public benefit
- Each beneficiary must be either a UK registered charity with the Charity Commission with no regulatory issues, an exempt charitable body (church or school etc.,) or an entity or individual using the funds for charitable purposes and public benefit.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The trustee requires proportionate due diligence on every beneficiary, including checks on charitable status, regulatory issues and public benefit.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
- International
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Master Charitable Trust.
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 30 September 2021 | £58,754,093 | £59,042,170 | £58,183,436 | Accounts for year to 30 September 2021 |
| year to 30 September 2022 | £46,006,681 | £47,153,862 | £45,335,450 | Accounts for year to 30 September 2022 |
| year to 30 September 2023 | £113,731,070 | £75,631,739 | £74,315,775 | Accounts for year to 30 September 2023 |
| year to 30 September 2024 | £107,879,000 | £86,471,000 | £85,243,000 | Accounts for year to 30 September 2024 |
| year to 30 September 2025 | £155,287,000 | £174,535,000 | £172,604,000 | Accounts for year to 30 September 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
In 1 of the 5 years shown, grants paid exceeded income.
- Grants paid, year to 30 September 2021; year to 30 September 2022; year to 30 September 2023; year to 30 September 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 30 September 2025: grants awarded in the year, as reported in the accounts.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- hoaresbank.co.uk/privacy · read on 23 October 2026; a page about the charity on another site
- hoaresbank.co.uk/personal-philanthropy-services · read on 23 October 2026; a page about the charity on another site
- hoaresbank.co.uk/master-charitable-trust · read on 23 October 2026; a page about the charity on another site
- Annual report (year to 30 September 2025)
Sources last checked on 23 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The Master Charitable Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
Applying to The Master Charitable Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required