Merchant Taylors' Foundation

The Merchant Taylors' Foundation, the principal charitable arm of one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London, draws on centuries of philanthropic legacy, formally incorporated in 2015 and strategically repositioned in 2020 to broaden its impact. Its core mission is advancing education and tackling disadvantage to foster personal transformation, social mobility, and lasting positive change, guided by values of philanthropy, opportunity, and community. With a distinctive blend of historic ties to educational institutions and a modern focus on urgent social needs, it supports bursaries, scholarships, school improvements, youth employability, mental health initiatives, life skills, and community projects addressing homelessness, poverty, and exclusion—prioritizing children, young people facing educational barriers, inner-city disadvantage, and vulnerable adults.

It funds grassroots and community-based charities via its Small Grants Scheme, offering unrestricted support for core costs and restricted grants for projects tackling age, ill-health, disability, or financial hardship, with a current emphasis on older people alongside broader youth and homelessness efforts. Eligible applicants are exclusively UK-registered charities delivering direct impact in London's Hackney, Lewisham, Southwark, or Tower Hamlets boroughs; small to medium-sized organizations are preferred, with grants capped at 5% of annual income.

Typical one-off grants range from £500 to £5,000, with multi-year awards up to £9,000 over three years, covering full costs including indirects. Unsolicited applications are accepted online during open rounds—next from 1 October to 5pm 31 December 2025—with decisions by March 2026 (under £3,000) or May 2026 (larger/multi-year). Distinctive for its evidence-based, catalytic approach, historical educational depth, and targeted East/South London focus, it avoids large capital projects or non-aligned work, standing out among livery charities for scalable, unrestricted funding that drives systemic social mobility.