The Rathbones Group Foundation

Charity Number: CUSTOM_2945CE94

Annual Expenditure: £0.6M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £624,148 (2024)
  • Grant Range: Generally under £5,000 (occasional higher awards)
  • Office Budget: £10,000 per office per year
  • Geographic Focus: UK and Channel Islands (21 office locations)
  • Beneficiary Focus: Children and young people
  • Application Method: Contact local Rathbones office

Contact Details

Foundation Contact:

  • Email: rathbonefoundation@rathbones.com
  • Phone: 020 7399 0000
  • Address: Sophie Boyd-Wallis, Rathbone Bros Plc, 8 Finsbury Circus, London EC2M 7AZ

Note: The Foundation does not have a website. Applications should be made through local Rathbones offices.

Overview

The Rathbones Group Foundation (Charity Number 1150432) was established on 20 November 2012 as the grant-making arm of the Rathbones Group, a wealth and investment management firm. With annual expenditure of £624,148 (2024) and income of £348,984, the Foundation operates through a decentralized model, allocating grants through 21 offices across the UK and Channel Islands. The Foundation's mission is to create equality of opportunity for children and young people, with a particular focus on supporting those from less privileged backgrounds and charities where funding would make a significant difference. The Foundation focuses on three key thematic areas: Education, Entrepreneurs, and Environment, while maintaining national partnerships with Young Enterprise, Money Ready, and Justice & Care.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Local Office Grants

  • Grant Range: Generally under £5,000 (with occasional higher awards)
  • Structure: Each of the 21 Rathbones offices receives up to £10,000 annually to distribute to local charities
  • Application: Rolling basis through local office charitable committees
  • Process: Registered charities contact their local Rathbones office to request support

National Partnerships

  • Partners: Young Enterprise, Money Ready, Justice & Care
  • Focus: Larger strategic partnerships supporting national-level impact

Priority Areas

Children and Young People

  • Young people from less privileged backgrounds
  • Equality of opportunity initiatives
  • Financial education and money skills
  • Employability skills and resilience building
  • Youth entrepreneurship

Three Key Focus Areas:

  1. Education - Financial literacy, practical money skills, school-based programs
  2. Entrepreneurs - Supporting young people to develop business skills and resilience
  3. Environment - Environmental initiatives benefiting young people

Geographic Eligibility

Charities must be located in or serve areas where Rathbones has offices:

  • England: Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cambridge, Cheltenham, Chichester, Exeter, Guildford, Kendal, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Winchester
  • Scotland: Edinburgh, Glasgow
  • Channel Islands: Jersey, Guernsey

What They Don't Fund

While specific exclusions are not publicly documented, the Foundation's focus is clearly limited to:

  • Registered charities only (not individuals or non-registered groups)
  • Projects supporting children and young people (not general or adult-focused causes)
  • Areas where Rathbones has office presence (not national charities without local connection)
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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

  1. Helen Carolynne Robertson Wilson - Appointed 21 February 2023
  2. Stuart Furzer - Appointed 04 July 2019
  3. Robert Paul Stockton - Appointed 20 November 2012
  4. Rathbones Trust Company Limited - Appointed 20 November 2012 (Corporate trustee with multiple charitable trusteeships)
  5. Richard Patrick Lanyon - Appointed 20 November 2012

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

Decision-Making Structure

The Foundation operates through a decentralized model:

  • Each Rathbones office has a charitable committee
  • Committees review local applications and put forward proposals
  • Trustees consider and approve funding recommendations
  • This structure ensures local knowledge informs grant-making decisions

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Identify Your Local Office

Contact the Rathbones office nearest to your charity's location. With 21 offices across the UK and Channel Islands, most regions have local access.

Step 2: Make Initial Contact

Registered charities can contact their local Rathbones office at any time to ask if staff would consider supporting a grant request. Reach out via phone or email to the specific office.

Step 3: Submit Your Proposal

Work with the local office's charitable committee to submit your funding request. The Foundation states: “The trustees consider applications for funding when received and resolve to apply the income and capital of the foundation to such charities or for such charitable purposes as they in their discretion think fit.”

Application Requirements:

  • Must be a registered charity
  • Must support children and young people
  • Must operate in or serve an area where Rathbones has an office
  • Should demonstrate how funding would make a significant difference
  • Should focus on young people from less privileged backgrounds

Office Budget Allocation:

Each office receives up to £10,000 per financial year to distribute. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, but securing funding may depend on remaining office budget availability for that financial year.

Decision Timeline

No specific timeline is published, but the process involves:

  1. Local charitable committee review
  2. Recommendations put forward to trustees
  3. Trustee consideration and approval

Given the decentralized structure with local committees, decisions may be relatively quick once a proposal is submitted to the local office, though no specific timeframe is documented.

Success Rates

No public data is available on application success rates or the number of applications received versus grants awarded.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy is publicly documented. Charities should discuss this with their local office if an initial application is unsuccessful.

Application Success Factors

Local Connection is Key

The Foundation's decentralized model means local knowledge and relationships matter. Charities that are well-known in their community and can build relationships with local Rathbones staff are likely better positioned.

Clear Impact on Young People

The Foundation's objectives state they aim “to help young people from less privileged backgrounds and those charities where funding would make a significant difference.” Applications should clearly articulate:

  • Which young people will benefit
  • How they face disadvantage or limited opportunities
  • Why this funding would make a significant difference

Alignment with Three Focus Areas

While not exclusively limited to these areas, demonstrating alignment with Education, Entrepreneurs, or Environment may strengthen applications:

  • Education: Financial literacy, money skills, educational attainment
  • Entrepreneurs: Employability skills, resilience, business skills
  • Environment: Environmental projects benefiting young people

Modest Funding Requests

With most grants under £5,000 and each office having £10,000 annually to distribute, smaller, specific requests may be more competitive than larger ones.

Timing Within Financial Year

Since each office has a fixed annual budget, applying earlier in the financial year (which typically runs January-December) may increase chances before budgets are fully allocated.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Contact your local office directly - This is not a centralized application process; building relationships with your nearest Rathbones office is essential
  • Keep requests modest - With most grants under £5,000, focus on specific, achievable projects rather than large-scale funding
  • Emphasize young people from disadvantaged backgrounds - This is the Foundation's core mission and should be central to your proposal
  • Demonstrate “significant difference” - The Foundation prioritizes charities where their funding will have meaningful impact, not just supplement existing resources
  • Show local impact - Since decisions are made by local charitable committees, demonstrate clear benefit to the local community
  • Align with Education, Entrepreneurs, or Environment - These three focus areas guide the Foundation's strategy
  • Apply early in the financial year - Each office has limited annual budget, so earlier applications may face less competition

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