The Seafarers’ Charity

What The Seafarers’ Charity does

The Seafarers' Charity, legally registered as King George's Fund for Sailors, is a London-based grant-making charity founded in 1917 by King George V and incorporated under Royal Charter in 1920 (last amended 2010). Operated as the largest independent maritime grant funder in the UK, it awards grants to maritime welfare charities and not-for-profit organisations delivering frontline services — including mental health support, financial hardship grants, safety training, and emergency aid — to active and retired seafarers, fishers, and their families across the UK and internationally. The organisation holds Royal Patronage (His Majesty King Charles III, succeeding Queen Elizabeth II in 2024) and is governed by a General Council of Trustees chaired by Paul Butterworth, with Chief Executive Deborah Layde leading day-to-day operations from a team of 11–50 staff.

The charity's core product is the Main Grant Programme, distributing over £2m annually, supplemented by three dedicated sub-brand funds: the Merchant Navy Fund (established 2012, £850,000+ awarded since inception), the International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS, launched 2023 with Lloyd's Register Foundation and the FISH Platform), and the Seafarers International Relief Fund (SIRF, established 2021 for humanitarian emergency response). Adjacent outputs include the 2026-launched "Smart Seafaring. A Safe Return" animated film series on seafarer abandonment, the Seaviews podcast, and challenge events such as the 24 Peaks Challenge and London Marathon places. The technology stack is non-proprietary: Stripe for donation processing, Google Analytics for web metrics, the Benefactor Cloud portal for grant application management, and SurveyMonkey for monitoring and evaluation reporting.

Revenue is generated entirely through voluntary contributions rather than commercial sales. The diversified model spans individual donations (online via Enthuse, by post, and via KGFS Club membership), legacy gifts, payroll giving, bespoke corporate partnerships (Charity of the Year, sponsorship), trust and foundation funding (notably Lloyd's Register Foundation for IFFS), and fundraising events. In 2025 the charity awarded £2.7m across 59 grants to 44 organisations and supported more than 400,000 beneficiaries, broadly consistent with the £2.4m disbursed to support over 600,000 people in 2023. Operating geographies include the UK, India, the Philippines, and Ukraine, with a stated global footprint across the maritime sector.

Name

The Seafarers’ Charity

Legal name

The Seafarers' Charity (King George's Fund for Sailors)

Website

https://theseafarerscharity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Seafarers' Charity is a UK-registered, Royal Charter-incorporated grant-making charity and the largest independent maritime grant funder, awarding over £2m annually to organisations supporting seafarers, fishers, and their families in the UK and worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters, processed online through the Enthuse platform or by post via cheque
2. Legacy Gifts: Gifts left in Wills by supporters to provide long-term sustainable funding
3. Payroll Giving: Tax-efficient monthly donations deducted directly from salaries of UK employees through employer schemes
4. Corporate Partnerships: Bespoke partnerships with companies including Charity of the Year, commercial engagement, corporate donations, and event sponsorship
5. Trust and Foundation Funding: Funding from Lloyd's Register Foundation for IFFS and other institutional funders for specific programmes
6. Fundraising Events: Revenue from challenge events including the 24 Peaks Challenge and London Marathon entries
7. Shop to Donate: Percentage donations from online shopping through EasyFundraising and Give as you Live schemes

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The Seafarers' Charity is the largest independent maritime grant-making charity in the UK, awarding over £2m annually (nearly £2.7m in 2025 across 59 grants to 44 organisations) to frontline maritime welfare charities and not-for-profits delivering services to seafarers and their families. It operates three main grant programmes — the Main Grant Programme, the Merchant Navy Fund (launched 2012), and the International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS, launched 2023 with Lloyd's Register Foundation) — plus the Seafarers International Relief Fund for humanitarian emergencies, and provides direct seafarer support via SAIL and SeafarerHelp advice lines.

Product overview

The Seafarers' Charity operates as a grant-making charitable organization, functioning as the largest independent maritime grant funder in the UK. The core offering is the Main Grant Programme, which distributes over £2m annually to maritime welfare charities supporting seafarers and their families. The organization manages several specialized sub-brand funds: the Merchant Navy Fund (supporting UK merchant seafarers), the International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS - addressing fishing safety globally), and the Seafarers International Relief Fund (SIRF - for emergency humanitarian responses). Supplementary offerings include educational content like the 'Smart Seafaring. A Safe Return' animated film series and the Seaviews Podcast, as well as fundraising events such as the 24 Peaks Challenge and London Marathon places. The grant application process is managed through an online Benefactor Cloud portal, with monitoring and evaluation conducted via SurveyMonkey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Merchant Navy Fund: A fundraising and grants programme focused on funding welfare services that support the UK's merchant seafarers, established in collaboration with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board
• International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS)
• Seafarers International Relief Fund (SIRF)

Products and services

• Main Grant Programme The primary grant funding programme distributing over £2m annually to charities and not-for-profit organisations delivering safety initiatives and welfare services to seafarers and fishers in the UK and globally. Awarded 59 grants totalling nearly £2.7m to 44 organisations in 2025.
• Merchant Navy Fund A collaborative fundraising and grants programme focused on funding welfare services that support the UK's merchant seafarers. Set up in partnership with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board. Since inception, has awarded more than £850,000 in grants; £106,000 across four grants in 2024 supporting over 250 merchant seafarers.
• International Fund for Fishing Safety (IFFS) A global maritime safety fund supporting practical, locally led fishing safety projects that reduce injuries, prevent fatalities, and protect livelihoods. Funded by Lloyd's Register Foundation and managed in partnership with the FISH Platform. Addresses the estimated 32,000 annual fatalities among the 39 million fishers globally.
• Seafarers International Relief Fund (SIRF) A central charitable fund that responds to emergencies affecting seafarers and their families, including humanitarian disasters. Successfully delivered over $1.1M of humanitarian aid during COVID-19 and raised over £300,000 for the Ukraine Appeal.
• Seafarer Advice and Information Lines (SAIL and SeafarerHelp) Confidential advice lines for seafarers globally: SAIL (0800 160 1842, [email protected]) and SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737, [email protected]). Provide multilingual support and confidential advice to seafarers in need, anywhere in the world.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded £2.7m through 59 grants to 44 organisations in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• World Maritime UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Jointly funded research initiative with TK Foundation and ITF Seafarers' Trust to examine how international protections for seafarers are implemented and to better understand the human impact of seafarer abandonment.
• FISH PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner providing oversight and expertise for the International Fund for Fishing Safety, working alongside The Seafarers' Charity as fund manager and Lloyd's Register Foundation as funder.
• The Mission to SeafarerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Supported charity in Seafarers International Relief Fund Ukraine Appeal, one of the key maritime charities coordinating emergency support on the ground.
• Stella MariscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Supported charity in Seafarers International Relief Fund Ukraine Appeal, providing pastoral care and practical support to seafarers affected by the crisis.
• ISWAN (International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Supported charity in Seafarers International Relief Fund Ukraine Appeal, operating SeafarerHelp line and providing multilingual support.
• Sailors' SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Supported charity in Seafarers International Relief Fund Ukraine Appeal, providing emotional and practical support to seafarers and families.
• ICMA (International Christian Maritime Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Supported charity in Seafarers International Relief Fund Ukraine Appeal, coordinating Christian maritime welfare efforts.
• Merchant Navy Welfare BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Collaborative initiative to exclusively support UK Merchant Navy seafarers. The Merchant Navy Fund was set up by both organisations. 50% of donations to the Fund are distributed to the Merchant Navy Welfare Board.
• Cornwall Rural Community CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers the Fishing Animateur project, acting as agent for fishers to help them access grants for safer boats, equipment, and harbour improvements across England and Wales.
• Global Maritime ForummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the Unspoken initiative to address sexual misconduct at sea. The Seafarers' Charity funding helps reach seafarers directly and build a trusted platform for sharing experiences and accessing support.
• Commonwealth Security and Resilience GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to put seafarers at the heart of global discussions on maritime security, helping leaders from smaller nations participate in Commonwealth Maritime Domain Awareness Summits.
• The Nautical InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting Leadership and Management programme through scholarships, mental health workshops, webinars on psychological safety, and fishing sector safety training.
• 360GivingminorOthersThe charity publishes grants data through 360Giving for transparency, allowing download of grants awarded since 2017.
• OCIMFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on webinar about psychological safety at sea, produced with OCIMF and ISWAN.
• Befrienders WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner providing emotional support and befriending services specifically for seafarers.
• Fishermen's MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in National Fishing Remembrance Day and collaborative work supporting fishing industry welfare.
• SeafishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in National Fishing Remembrance Day and fishing safety initiatives.
• Maritime and Coastguard AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in National Fishing Remembrance Day and UK maritime safety initiatives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Merchant Navy Welfare Board: UK statutory body coordinating welfare services for merchant seafarers and co-managing the Merchant Navy Fund alongside The Seafarers' Charity. Direct peer in distributing grants to support UK merchant seafarer welfare.
• Stella Maris: Catholic maritime charity (formerly Apostleship of the Sea) supporting seafarers through ship visits, port chaplains and welfare services worldwide. Directly comparable as a seafarer welfare charity also funded by The Seafarers' Charity and competing for similar individual and corporate donations.
• ISWAN (International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network): Umbrella body coordinating welfare services for seafarers, operating multilingual helplines (including SeafarerHelp). Direct peer as a seafarer-welfare-focused organisation operating in overlapping geographies with the same donor pool and as a co-delivery partner.
• Sailors' Society: International maritime welfare charity delivering education, welfare and emergency response programmes to seafarers and their families. Direct peer: comparable cause area, beneficiary profile, and funding mix, and a named partner in The Seafarers' Charity's Ukraine appeal.
• ITF Seafarers' Trust: International labour-affiliated grant-making trust supporting projects that improve welfare for seafarers worldwide. Closely comparable as a maritime-focused grantmaking foundation — co-funding the World Maritime University seafarer-abandonment research with The Seafarers' Charity.
• Fishermen's Mission: UK charity dedicated to the welfare of active and retired fishermen and their families, providing emergency and welfare support. Comparable as a maritime-sector grant recipient and partner (jointly running National Fishing Remembrance Day) targeting an overlapping fishing sub-segment of beneficiaries.
• The Mission to Seafarers: Long-established maritime welfare charity providing port-based support to seafarers globally (chaplaincy, centres, ship visiting). Closely comparable as a seafarer-focused grant-receiving and frontline service charity operating in the same donor pool, with whom the Seafarers' Charity actively co-funded the Ukraine appeal.
• TK Foundation: Maritime-focused private foundation funding seafarer welfare, safety and education initiatives globally. Closely comparable grant-making model and beneficiary base; co-funds World Maritime University research with The Seafarers' Charity.

Others

• Seafarers UK (historical working name): Former public-facing brand used by The Seafarers' Charity between 2005 and 2021. Listed to flag potential donor confusion rather than treat as an operating peer — the underlying entity is identical to the subject company.

Broad incumbents

• Lloyd's Register Foundation: UK-based charitable foundation supporting engineering, safety, and maritime welfare including the International Fund for Fishing Safety (which it primarily funds). Comparable as a large maritime grant-making institution, but broader in remit than the seafarer-specific focus of The Seafarers' Charity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=fbg_frnyDy0
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeafarersKGFS
• Xx.com/Seafarers_KGFS

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Seafarers’ Charity