Wise Music Foundation

Wise Music Foundation, originally established as The Music Sales Charitable Trust in 1990 by the Wise family of Wise Music Group, is a UK-based grantmaker dedicated to alleviating hardship, distress, and illness among vulnerable groups. Its core mission emphasizes compassion, community responsibility, and tangible social impact, supporting children, the homeless, those in poverty, the elderly, and disabled individuals through practical interventions. Distinctive for evolving beyond its music industry roots into a broad generalist funder, it prioritizes small charities delivering direct relief without restricting to arts or music causes.

The Foundation funds welfare initiatives in health, education, disability services, homelessness, food poverty, overseas aid, famine relief, arts, culture, heritage, and food banks. Beneficiaries include children and young people, older adults, people with disabilities, and communities facing disadvantage, with grants backing both project-specific and core costs for revenue or capital needs—focusing on one-off, flexible support where funding makes a meaningful difference.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities, with a strong preference for small organizations (annual turnover under £500,000) unlikely to secure major or statutory funding; geographic scope covers all UK nations (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) and international aid projects. It accepts unsolicited applications via online form, requiring charity details, accounts, and project descriptions. Quarterly deadlines fall at the end of February, May, August, and November, with trustee meetings (largely Wise family members) in March, June, September, and December; decisions arrive within three months. Grants range £500–£5,000 (average £1,500), limited to one per charity per year but open to reapplications. Unlike specialized funders, its inclusive, trust-based approach welcomes diverse hardship-relief efforts from under-resourced groups.