Coutts Charitable Foundation

The Coutts Charitable Foundation, established in 2013 and rooted in the 19th-century philanthropic legacy of Thomas Coutts and Angela Burdett-Coutts, is an independent UK grant-maker tied to Coutts & Company. Its core mission is to build brighter futures by funding systemic, sustainable solutions to poverty's causes and consequences, with a sharpened focus on empowering women and girls facing inequality, and young people through performing arts. Governed by trustees blending bank appointees and independents, it emphasizes public benefit, social responsibility, resilience-building, and high-impact partnerships, prioritizing scalable innovations over temporary aid.

It supports UK charities delivering lasting anti-poverty interventions for women and girls—such as leadership, education, safety, financial independence, and wellbeing programs—and arts initiatives fostering social, emotional, and practical skills in disadvantaged youth. Exemplars include Refuge (domestic violence support), Centrepoint (youth homelessness), and the National Youth Orchestra, with grants enabling pilots, scaling, and core operations for vulnerable communities nationwide.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, typically medium-to-large with incomes above £500,000 and proven capacity, operating UK-wide (prioritizing England, Wales, and Coutts-influenced areas). Grants range from £5,000 (e.g., cost-of-living aid) to £100,000–£300,000+ multi-year awards, favoring unrestricted/core funding. Invite-only with rolling trustee decisions; unsolicited formal applications are not accepted, but aligned charities may email brief info for consideration. It excludes short-term projects, one-offs, capital costs, and non-strategic work, distinguishing itself through proactive grantee identification, rigorous due diligence, site visits, and a heritage-driven commitment to transformative change.