Church of England Pensions Board

The Church of England Pensions Board, established in 1926 and approaching its centenary in 2026, is a specialist institution dedicated to ensuring financial security, dignity, and well-being for retired clergy, church workers, administrators, and their partners who have served the Church of England. Governing over £3.3 billion in assets for around 44,000 members and 700 employers, it combines pension administration, retirement housing for over 2,400 residents, and discretionary charitable grants. Rooted in the Church's ethical principles, it emphasizes responsible investment with strong ESG integration, exclusions for incompatible companies, and leadership in stewardship on climate, human rights, and governance via tools like the Transition Pathway Initiative.

It funds targeted hardship relief, welfare support, and emergency aid for financially vulnerable beneficiaries—primarily retired clergy, surviving spouses/partners, or church workers—aligned with Minimum Income Standards and low-income/asset thresholds. Support covers personal needs like housing transitions, financial planning, and independence, excluding projects, core costs, or capacity building for organizations.

Eligibility is strictly limited to individuals directly connected to the Church of England (Christian-only), residing primarily in England (provinces of Canterbury and York, plus Diocese in Europe) or abroad if criteria are met; no organizations, charities, or unsolicited applications from the voluntary sector. Grants are means-tested, tailored, and awarded on a rolling basis via diocesan representatives or beneficiary channels, with no fixed deadlines, rounds, or published ranges.

Distinctively, it rejects generalist grantmaking, focusing solely on its defined Church workforce through an integrated pensions-housing-welfare model, moral investment leadership, and holistic beneficiary stability rather than open philanthropy.