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MoneySavingExpert charity fund.

MoneySavingExpert charity fund

Grant-giving to grassroots groups & more

Updated 10 July 2025

Important. This is all about MSE's charity fund – for more details of Martin's separate personal fund, see his full Martin Lewis Charity Fund – what happened to the £10m I pledged to charity blog.

If you want to empower consumers, put money in their pocket. This site is dedicated to doing just that... but our charity fund does it even more directly. With over £2.4 million donated so far, it's MoneySavingExpert's way of giving back to users.

The money we raise currently goes to support our charity, the MSE Charity, which gives grants of up to £10,000 to groups that provide education, information and support to help people learn how to manage their money better.

But that's not all – we also make one-off donations and, in the past, have donated part of our fund to a range of charities nominated by you, MSE users.


What is the MSE Charity?

Launched in May 2008, the MSE Charity (registered charity number 1121320) is dedicated to helping people help themselves, by funding activities that make a lasting impact on how people think, behave, and manage their money.

Rather than engaging in any projects itself, the charity offers grants of up to £10,000 to support non-profit organisations, such as social enterprises and registered charities, with specific money education projects. Help is given to a range of projects, from the grassroots to more mainstream charities, with the maximum annual income level for an organisation set at £750,000.

As of June 2024, the MSE Charity made a number of changes to its funding rounds. While it still runs two rounds a year, the following has changed:

  • No more set themes. Former themes were building and developing resilience, living with long-term challenges, raising the next generation, and life changes.

  • Wider focus. The rounds now focus more broadly on boosting people's financial capability skills, which aligns better with the charity's long-term goals.

  • Grant increase. The maximum grant per group has increased to £10,000.

  • Two-stage application, rather than one. The new first stage is a shorter 'outline' application; the second is a fuller application.

For more detailed info on the new grant process, see the MSE Charity's webpage.

MSE founder Martin Lewis on the MSE Charity's history...

Martin Lewis
Martin Lewis
MSE founder & chair

The MSE Charity is now over 10 years old. It was my first foray into the third sector and I've learned much. The MSE Charity is still very much the site's baby, a passion play that allows us to help far more than those who just use the site. It enables us to put money into small projects that may otherwise get ignored, but can have a huge impact on people's lives. Its focus remains on educating people on how to deal with their money and to tackle financial illiteracy.

In the early days MSE and I were the same thing. Now the site has its own independent life, alongside me, which is why I'm delighted it continues to fund the MSE Charity. It was the MSE Charity that educated me into what a privilege having money and being able to put it where it is needed really is. Without it I'm not sure I'd have had the confidence to set up the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and the other work I do. Thanks MSE Charity.

See more on Martin's personal charity fund work, including his own donations to the MSE Charity, which are separate from MSE's.

Where does the MSE Charity's money come from?

The cash is generated from two sources:

  • An annual donation from this site. A donation of over £235,000 was made to launch the charity, and substantial donations have continued to be made each year.

    All this cash – less some small administrative costs – goes directly to the grant fund. Martin makes a separate personal donation to cover the majority of the running costs of the charity.

    Martin also put money into the Martin Lewis Charitable Fund when MoneySavingExpert joined the MoneySupermarket Group (now called MONY Group) – for more information on this, see Martin's blog.

  • Donations from well-wishers. Anyone who wants to support the charity is more than welcome; for the many who have said they'd like to donate to MoneySavingExpert as it's saved them money, please donate to the charity instead.

How can I make a donation to the MSE Charity?

You can donate online through the MSE Charity's PayPal Giving Fund page.

Any postal donations can be sent to the MSE Charity c/o MONY Group, 1 Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB, and if your donation is eligible for Gift Aid, please complete its Gift Aid declaration form.


Who's recently received one of our grants?

Eight organisations were awarded grants by the MSE Charity following its last batch of funding, which was open to initial applications in January this year.

Dotted around the UK and helping various causes, the eight groups were given grants totalling just over £56,000.

With this funding they've been able to deliver even more life-changing support.

Here's a summary of the groups and their projects:

  • Breakout Youth: This charity has been supporting LGBTQ+ young people in Hampshire for over 31 years and is the only dedicated charity in the area that does so. It provides safe spaces for 11 to 25-year-olds and delivers seven weekly youth groups for those living in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

    The project the MSE Charity has funded will allow Breakout Youth's team of youth workers and volunteers to attend financial capability training and then co-produce with its Young People's Board the content for four financial capability workshops and accompanying resources. The youth workers will deliver these workshops to the 80 LGBTQ+ young people attending the weekly youth groups (in total 28 workshops). The MSE Charity has also funded 30 one-to-one sessions for those who need more individualised support.

  • Disability Solutions West Midlands: This Stoke-on-Trent-based charity is run by people with disabilities for people with disabilities and long-term illnesses. It's been providing advice, information and support services to help people make their own choices and improve their quality of life since 1998.

    The MSE Charity has funded the development and delivery of four half-day 'Money Management' workshops for 40 neurodivergent young adults who may be particularly vulnerable to financial abuse. The workshops aim to increase the beneficiaries' financial capability skills and confidence.

  • Fat Macy's: This specialist homelessness charity in London is dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals as they move from temporary accommodation into stable housing and employment. Its 'Milestone Programme' is a 200-hour hospitality training and employment initiative designed to equip participants with professional skills, financial stability and the confidence to move into independent living. After participants move into their own homes, Fat Macy's also provides six months of resettlement support.

    MSE Charity funding will allow Fat Macy's to integrate one-to-one financial capability sessions into both its 'Milestone' and 'Resettlement' programmes, supporting 35 people over the year. The grant will also enable its staff to access specialist financial capability training from Shelter and Homeless Link.

  • Frampton Park Baptist Church: Based in the London Borough of Hackney, Frampton Park Baptist Church has been delivering local community services on the Frampton Park Estate for nearly 80 years. It provides weekly services for older people, parents and toddlers, and also runs the Hackney Debt Help Centre in partnership with Christians Against Poverty (CAP).

    The MSE Charity funding will enable Frampton Park Baptist Church to deliver four CAP money-coaching courses to 32 people over the year. The courses will be followed with one-to-one sessions for each participant.

  • Imago Dei: This charity was established in 2016 in East Grinstead with the aim of empowering women in prison to change their lives, gain hope for the future and productively reintegrate into society. It runs two sets of courses in three prisons in the South East (HMP Downview, HMP East Sutton Park and HMP Send). These are 'Free to Be' for all women and 'MyLife' for 18 to 25-year-olds.

    The MSE Charity has funded Imago Dei's 'Money, Money, Money' course, part of 'MyLife'. This six-session course will be delivered three times over the year at HMP Downview and HMP East Sutton Park, benefiting up to 30 young women.

  • Charities that have been awarded MSE Charity grants in May 2025: Magic Torch Comics, Fat Macy's, Breakout Youth, Financial Fitness, Lifeline Harrogate, Disability Solutions West Midlands, Imago Dei, Frampton Park Baptist Church and Three13 Training.

    Lifeline Harrogate: This charity has been working with homeless and vulnerably housed people since 2013, providing supported housing to those who need significant care, support or supervision. Many of those it helps have been victims of abuse. It currently supports 21 men and three women in seven houses across Harrogate.

    The MSE Charity has funded the delivery of two money courses for up to 30 residents. Each course will use resources from Crosslight Advice and be delivered over six weeks in two-hour weekly sessions throughout autumn 2025 and spring 2026.

  • Magic Torch Comics: Magic Torch Comics community interest company is based in Inverclyde, Scotland. Since 2017 it has been working with community organisations and schools across Scotland to tell stories using comics, games, drama and digital media. For this project it's working in partnership with Financial Fitness, Inverclyde's independent welfare benefit and money advice charity.

    The funding will go towards the co-creation, development, illustration and publication of a 16-page comic resource for use in upper primary schools. The comic will be used to deliver 22 90-minute 'Money 4 Life' sessions to every Primary 7 class in Inverclyde (about 700 children). The comic will also be available to download via Magic Torch Comics' website.

  • Three13 Training and Enterprise: Since 2016 it's been tackling generational unemployment in Stockton, in Teesside, by helping people become more confident, find meaningful employment and become economically stable. Three13 Training and Enterprise runs four-week work-based skills and employability support programmes in hospitality, carpentry and gardening, alongside practical life-skills workshops.

    MSE Charity funding will allow Three13 to deliver four interactive 'Money Survival' sessions to each work-based training cohort, benefiting at least 70 people over the year. The MSE Charity has also helped to fund money guidance training for three members of Three13 staff.



What other donations has MSE made?

Not only has MoneySavingExpert donated towards the MSE Charity's work, over the years we have also gifted cash to charities nominated by MSE users, and made a string of one-off donations, totalling more than £700,000.

The nominated charities include:

While many of MSE's donations have gone towards helping improve people's financial skills, we've also made a number of one-off donations to high-profile fundraising events and a range of charities large and small, including:

  • Children in Need

  • Comic Relief

  • Red Cross

  • Unicef

  • Various charities following natural disasters such as the Myanmar cyclone in 2008, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004


How much has MSE donated over the years?

Here's the MSE donation history since the site launched in February 2003.

This money comes directly from the site, and doesn't include any donations made by private individuals to the MSE Charity. If you're asking, 'How does a free site with no ads make these donations?', read our How this site is financed guide.

Logos for the MSE Charity and Unicef.

Donations between 1 Sep 2019 and 31 Dec 2024

£551,805

£540,005 to the MSE Charity

Plus one-off donations...

  • Tetanus vaccines to Unicef – Dec 2019.
    A donation of £1,800 was given to Unicef to provide tetanus vaccines for 18,000 children.

  • Tetanus vaccines to Unicef – Dec 2020.
    A donation of £2,000 was given to Unicef to provide tetanus vaccines for 20,000 children.

  • Covid-19 donation to the World Health Organisation (WHO) – Dec 2021.
    We gave £2,000 to the WHO to help prevent and treat Covid-19 around the world.

  • Emergency support to the Red Cross – Dec 2022.
    We gave £2,000 to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal to help those displaced by the war.

  • Donation to Unicef – Dec 2023.
    A donation of £2,000 was given to Unicef to provide aid, including vaccines, education, sanitation and emergency support, in disadvantaged areas around the world.

  • Donation to Unicef – Dec 2024.
    Similar to last year, we donated £2,000 to Unicef to provide worldwide aid, including vaccines, education, sanitation and emergency support.

Logos for Help for Heroes, Christians Against Poverty and Samaritans.

Donations between 22 Jul 2008 and 31 Aug 2019

£1,389,750

£966,592 to the MSE Charity

Main charities – £319,585 to nominated charities

Re-Cycle received 20% (£63,917)

Help for Heroes received 20% (£63,917)

ShelterBox received 20% (£63,917)

CAP UK received 20% (£63,917)

Samaritans received 20% (£63,917)

Plus one-off donations...

  • Start of charity fund donation
    £200 each to St Giles Trust, iT4Communities, Foal Farm, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, Citizens Advice, NCH (now Action for Children), £100 to Sightsavers International (total: £1,300).

  • Comic Relief – Mar 2009
    To celebrate Comic Relief 2009, 50p was donated per new recipient of the weekly email for a specified period, meaning a £10,000 donation (once rounded to the nearest £1,000).

  • Haiti Earthquake Appeal – Feb 2010
    To help the Disasters Emergency Committee Haiti Earthquake Appeal, 50p was donated per new recipient of the weekly email for a specified period, meaning a £15,322 donation.

  • Gift of Sight (Sightsavers) – Dec 2010
    A donation of £1,705 was given to Sightsavers for the Gift of Sight for 100 people.

  • Financial Education – Jun 2011
    Donation of £35,000 to the All Party Parliamentary Group supporting financial education in schools. See Martin's blog.

  • Gift of Sight (Sightsavers) – Dec 2011
    A donation of £1,705 was given to Sightsavers for the Gift of Sight for 100 people.

  • Polio vaccines to Unicef – Dec 2012
    A donation of £1,150 was given to Unicef for 10,000 polio vaccines.

  • Comic Relief – Mar 2013
    To celebrate Comic Relief 2013, £1 was given for every new member of our Cheap Energy Club for a specified period, meaning a donation of £22,000 once rounded to the nearest £1,000.

  • Tetanus vaccines to Unicef – Dec 2013
    A donation of £1,375 was given to Unicef for 30,000 tetanus vaccines.

  • Polio vaccines to Unicef – Dec 2014
    A donation of £1,650 was given to Unicef for 15,000 polio vaccines.

  • Red Cross – Sep 2015
    To help the Europe refugee crisis, 50p was donated per new recipient of the weekly email for a specified period, which we rounded up to make a £6,000 donation.

  • Tetanus vaccines to Unicef – Dec 2015
    A donation of £2,040 was given to Unicef for 40,000 tetanus vaccines.

  • UK Athletics – Feb 2016
    A donation of £325 was made.

  • Unicef – Jan 2018
    A donation of £2,001 was made.

  • Unicef – Dec 2018
    A donation of £2,000 was made to pay for health checks for 800 Syrian children.

Logos for Cancer Research UK, Different Strokes and Tools for Self Reliance.

Donations between 1 Sep 2006 and 21 Jul 2008

£404,084

£254,016 to the MSE Charity

Main charities – £111,918 to nominated charities

Cancer Research UK received 20% (£22,383)

Re-Cycle received 20% (£22,383)

Tools for Self Reliance received 20% (£22,383)

Different Strokes received 20% (£22,383)

✅ Usable Websites received 20% (£22,383)

Plus one-off donations...

  • Festive donation
    £3,000 went to Children in Crisis as part of this site's Christmas festive donation.

  • Children in Need
    In the run-up to Children in Need 2007, 50p was donated per new recipient of the weekly email for a specified period, meaning an overall donation of £8,200.

  • Comic Relief
    To celebrate Comic Relief, 50p was donated per new recipient of the weekly email in the run-up, meaning a £7,700 donation.

  • Myanmar Cyclone Appeal
    A total of £7,500 was donated as part of the '50p donation for every new recipient of the weekly email' appeal.

  • Charities Aid Foundation
    £1,100 was given to this charity, which provides low-cost banking, financial and training services to other charities.

  • Govan Law Centre
    Received two donations, £9,000 and £1,000, for providing legal support to the bank charges campaign.

  • National Eczema Society
    Received a donation of £50.

  • JustGiving – cimaracing
    Received a donation of £100.

  • Oxfam
    Received a donation of £500.

Logos for Re-Cycle, Ripple Effect and WaterAid.

Donations between 25 Jun 2005 and 31 Aug 2006

£87,248

Main charities – £78,248 to nominated charities

Samaritans received 26% (£20,344.59)

Re-Cycle received 22% (£17,214.65)

Send a Cow (now Ripple Effect) received 20% (£15,649.68)

CAP Debt Counselling received 18% (£14,084.72)

WaterAid received 14% (£10,954.78)

Plus one-off donations...

  • South-East Asian Earthquake Appeal – 19 Oct 2005
    A total of £2,000 was donated as part of the '50p donation for every new recipient of the weekly email' drive.

  • World Vision – A MoneySavers' Well20 Dec 2005

    £2,000 was donated via World Vision to build a well in a desolate part of Africa, providing clean water for 10 villages.

  • World Vision – Solar Panels for Senegal28 Feb 2006

    A total of £5,000 was donated as part of the '50p donation for every new recipient of the weekly email' drive to fit solar panels for a health clinic in Senegal. So many people signed up that cash was spare to fund health centre equipment, sewing machines, school toys and classroom equipment.

Logos for Breast Cancer Now, Whizz-Kidz and Kidscape.

Donations between 12 May 2004 and 24 Jun 2005

£39,680

Main charities – £29,000 to nominated charities

Breast Cancer Now received 26% (£7,540)

Alzheimer's Society received 20% (£5,800)

Whizz-Kidz received 20% (£5,800)

Re-Cycle received 17% (£4,930)

Kidscape received 17% (£4,930)

Plus a one-off donation...

  • Tsunami Emergency Appeal donation of £10,680 – 9 Jan 2005