MoneySavingExpert charity fund

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?

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

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.

Dotted around the UK and helping various causes, the nine groups were given grants totalling just over £68,000.

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

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

• Evolve Recovery Homes, a women-only charity based in Bradford, established as a CIO in 2022, providing abstinence-based supported housing for women and girls, including mothers with children. Its trauma-informed, recovery-focused approach is grounded in lived experience, creating safe and supportive environments where women can rebuild stability, heal from past experiences and move towards greater independence.
  
  MSE Charity funding will enable Evolve Recovery Homes to deliver at least 40 financial capability sessions for around 50 women, alongside up to 120 tailored one-to-one support sessions over the year. The project will also provide practical help with financial transitions and tenancy sustainment, with all activities delivered in a consistent, trauma-informed way and supported by 10 hours of key staff time each week.

• Down Syndrome Cheshire is a Northwich-based charity that was established by a group of parents in 2007 to create opportunities for connection, shared experience and mutual support. Since formally registering as a charity in 2020, the organisation has continued to provide a supportive community for people with Down syndrome and their families.
  
  MSE Charity funding will support 24 accessible financial wellbeing sessions over 12 months for around 30 people with Down syndrome. This will include practical, community-based sessions where participants can apply their learning in real-life settings such as shopping, transport and banking. In addition, around 30 parents and carers will benefit from informal guidance and opportunities to share learning as part of the project.

• The Old Fire Station is a charity and community hub based on the Gipton estate in Leeds, Yorkshire. Established in 2017, it offers a welcoming café, meeting space and a wide range of services and activities that bring local people together, while also providing targeted support to improve wellbeing and quality of life.
  
  MSE Charity funding will enable The Old Fire Station to deliver 48 digital and financial skills workshops over the year for an additional 60 to 80 people. This will include themed quarterly workshops on issues such as the cost of living, scams and energy, alongside regular one-to-one support and weekly drop-in sessions designed to build digital confidence and improve financial capability.

• St Sidwell’s Centre is an independent charity and community hub in the heart of Exeter, established in 2001. It provides a warm and inclusive space for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, offering a wide range of activities, services and opportunities that bring the local community together. Its work includes a community café, bakery and cookery school, green space and food growing, affordable venue hire, free ESOL classes, local heritage activity plus volunteering and work experience opportunities.
  
  MSE Charity funding will enable St Sidwell’s Centre to deliver inclusive financial capability support for people affected by the cost of living crisis and other financial challenges, including refugees and people with learning disabilities. Over the year, the project will provide two ESOL and money management courses, 10 themed money management workshops, and ongoing one-to-one support through weekly drop-in sessions, reaching more than 80 beneficiaries. Funding will also help build long-term capacity by training five staff members and five volunteers, and by creating a new Financial Support Volunteer role to sustain the project’s impact.

• 

  Community InfoSource is a grassroots, community-led charity based in Glasgow, established in 2006. It works primarily with refugees and people seeking asylum, helping them to understand their rights, build confidence and skills, and participate more fully in their communities. Led by people with lived experience of racial injustice and the asylum system, the organisation takes a rights-based, equalities-led approach grounded in dignity, hope and respect.
  
  MSE Charity funding will enable Community InfoSource to deliver four structured courses comprising 24 sessions, supporting 56 refugees and people seeking asylum to build practical money management skills for life in the UK. The project will also provide six standalone sessions for up to 42 participants on topics including wellbeing, debt and benefits, alongside weekly one-to-one casework support offering at least 96 appointments for 50 to 75 individuals. Delivery will be coordinated by a Project Manager for 3.5 hours per week, supported by up to 10 volunteers and a Caseworker for 3 hours per week.

• Maldon & District Citizens Advice is based in Maldon, Essex, and has been supporting local people since 1985. As an independent charity and a member of the wider Citizens Advice network across England and Wales, it offers free, confidential, and impartial advice, while also campaigning on the key issues that impact people’s lives. Its mission is to help everyone find a way forward, whatever challenges they may be facing.
  
  MSE Charity funding will support a project focused on preventing future debt and building lasting financial capability. This will include delivering financial education sessions to 32 primary school classes across a range of year groups, alongside providing tailored one-to-one support for parents on budgeting, money management and debt, including crisis support where needed. Delivery will be led by a Community Engagement Officer, supported by a specialist adviser and trained volunteers, and will build on a successful pilot programme.

• Steve Browne Foundation. Founded in 2017 in memory of former professional footballer Steve Browne, the Steve Browne Foundation supports young people up to age 18 across East and North-East London. Dedicated to creating opportunities for growth, resilience, and lasting change. It delivers sport, leadership and social programmes that build confidence and life skills. The Foundation works to break cycles of disadvantage by helping young people and their families develop the skills and financial awareness needed to move forward.
  
  MSE Charity funding will support the Foundation to expand its financial capability work for young people and families. The project will deliver 10 structured programmes, each comprising two 90-minute interactive sessions, engaging 30–35 participants per programme and reaching around 300 individuals over the year. In addition, 10 primary school sessions will be delivered using an interactive financial education board game, supporting approximately 200 pupils. To strengthen longer-term impact, the project will also train 20 community volunteers through a train-the-trainer approach, building local capacity to sustain and grow delivery.

• Creating Hope is a registered charity based in Sutton, South West London, supporting people facing debt and other life-limiting challenges. Although formally established in December 2022, its work builds on long-standing experience in delivering high-quality, award-winning debt counselling and practical support. Its mission is to help people experiencing financial hardship move out of debt and poverty towards greater stability and hope.
  
  MSE Charity funding will enable Creating Hope to deliver CAP-based financial resilience support across three strands, reaching over 364 participants. This will include Life Skills courses for adults to build budgeting and money management skills, school workshops for young people, and small-group sessions for clients already receiving debt advice. All these activities will be delivered by trained coaches and volunteers, providing structured and practical support to improve financial stability.

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:

• Alzheimer's Society

• Breast Cancer Now

• Cancer Research UK

• CAP UK

• Different Strokes

• Help for Heroes

• Kidscape

• Re-Cycle

• Samaritans

• Send a Cow (now called Ripple Effect)

• ShelterBox

• Tools for Self Reliance

• WaterAid

• Whizz-Kidz

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.