
MoneySavingExpert Charity Fund
Grant-giving to grassroots groups
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 nearly £2 million donated so far, it's MoneySavingExpert.com's way of giving back to users.
The money we raise currently goes to support the MSE Charity, which gives grants of up to £7,500 to groups that provide education, information and support to help people learn how to manage their money better.
But that's not all – in the past we've donated part of our fund to a range of charities nominated by you, MSE users, as well as making a series of one-off donations.
Update Thu 25 Feb: The MSE Charity's latest round of grant-giving, February 2021, has now closed. The charity's received and accepted the maximum 40 applications, and applicants will be advised of the outcome by 5pm on Thursday 22 April.
Its next grant round, themed on life-changing transitions, opens on 1 September 2021.
To find out who benefited from its last round of donations, which totalled over £58,000, see Sept 2020 winners below.
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.
The charity is currently a grant-giving body, rather than engaging in any projects itself, though it's hoped in time this will change.
Grants are available of up to £7,500 to support any non-profit group, such as a social enterprise or a registered charity, with specific money projects. Help is given to a range of projects, from small grassroots groups to larger mainstream charities, with the maximum annual income level for a group set at £500,000.
The MSE Charity has two themed grant-giving rounds a year and four themes that rotate through a two-year cycle. Its themes are building and developing resilience, life-changing transitions, living with long-term challenges, and raising the next generation.
To find out more about applying for a grant, please visit the MSE Charity website.

Martin on the MSE Charity's history...
The MSE Charity is now over 10 years old. It was my first foray into the third sector and I've learnt 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 the MSE Charity.
Where does the MSE Charity 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. This includes all of Martin's proceeds from the Thrifty Ways and Three Lessons books.
All this cash – less some small administrative costs – goes directly to the grant fund. The cost of the day-to-day operation of the charity is met by a separate personal donation from Martin.
Martin also put money into the Martin Lewis Charitable Fund when MoneySavingExpert joined the MoneySupermarket 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 our PayPal Giving Fund page or through our Bacs donation form. To donate by post, contact our treasurer Tony Tesciuba, at Tesciuba Ltd, 72 Cavendish Road, Salford, M7 4WA, and if your donation is eligible for Gift Aid, please complete our Gift Aid declaration form.
Who's the latest to benefit from MSE Charity grants?
The MSE Charity has announced the nine projects to win grants in its September 2020 round of funding – in which it donated a total of over £58,000.
The round was themed on 'building and developing resilience' and was for projects that will support people recovering from the results of coronavirus, and equip them to move forward.
Here's a summary of the nine projects, run by the following groups – for full info, see the MSE Charity website.

Visit the MSE Charity website or discuss it in the MSE Forum.

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 Burma cyclone in 2008, the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004
How much has been donated over the years?
Here's the MSE donation history since the site launched in February 2003 up until September 2019.
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.
Donations between 22 Jul 2008 and 1 Sep 2019

£1,389,750
Donations between 1 Sep 2006 and 21 Jul 2008

£404,084
Donations between 25 Jun 2005 and 31 Aug 2006

£87,248
Donations between 12 May 2004 and 24 Jun 2005

£39,680
Spotted out of date info/broken links? Email: brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
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