Charity for Civil Servants

What Charity for Civil Servants does

Charity for Civil Servants is a UK-registered charity (legal name: The Civil Service Benevolent Fund), continuously operating since 1886 and headquartered in Cheam, Surrey, with dual charitable registration in England and Wales (1136870) and Scotland (SC041956). It is the only charity dedicated specifically to supporting current and former civil servants through life's challenges, serving a closed occupational population across the United Kingdom.

Its core offering is a multi-channel support platform combining direct human services with digital self-serve products. Direct services include financial assistance, money and debt advice, relationship counselling, domestic abuse support, bereavement support, and addiction/gambling support. The digital product surface comprises a self-serve portal at portal.foryoubyyou.org.uk, three dedicated mobile apps (Thrive for mental wellbeing, Grief Works for bereavement, Law Express for legal guidance), and digital toolkits spanning money management, wellbeing, carer support, and a Carer's Emergency Plan. A webinars programme and an annual Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference (with the 2026 edition scheduled 5-9 October) extend reach at scale.

The charity operates a donation-funded non-profit model with no paid services to beneficiaries. Revenue is diversified across one-off donations, payroll giving, in-memory giving, philanthropy, legacy/will gifts, corporate support from civil service departments, and a Community Lottery offering prizes up to £25,000. Approximately 160 employees are supported in delivery, with outreach conducted via civil service employer networks, introduction talks, social media, email newsletters, events, and webinars.

Name

Charity for Civil Servants

Legal name

The Civil Service Benevolent Fund

Website

https://cfcs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Charity for Civil Servants is a UK-wide registered charity, founded in 1886, that delivers free financial, health, wellbeing, bereavement, and relationship support services to current and former civil servants through digital self-serve tools, mobile apps, and direct human services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Welfare Services

NAICS

Social Assistance (624), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Charitable welfare services
• Employee assistance programme
• Mental health support
• Financial wellbeing advice
• Bereavement counselling

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheam, Sutton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies on donations from supporters, including one-time donations, payroll giving, donations in memory, and philanthropy.
2. Community Lottery: A community lottery where participants can win up to £25,000, helping fund the charity's work supporting civil servants.
3. Corporate Support: Support from civil service departments and organisations that partner with the charity.
4. Legacies and Will Donations: Supporters can leave a gift in their Will to the charity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Charity for Civil Servants provides free, confidential welfare support services to current and former UK civil servants. Its offering spans financial assistance and debt advice, mental health and wellbeing resources, bereavement support, relationship counselling, caring support, addiction and gambling harm services, and workplace wellbeing guidance, delivered through a self-service portal, dedicated mobile applications, phone helpline, email, webinars, and direct support services.

Product overview

Charity for Civil Servants operates as a unified charitable support platform offering multiple digital products and direct services to civil servants facing personal challenges. The core offering includes three dedicated mobile applications (Thrive app for mental wellbeing, Grief Works app for bereavement support, and Law Express app for legal guidance) alongside digital toolkits for money management and wellbeing. The charity provides direct support services including financial assistance, relationship counselling, and crisis support resources. A community lottery programme serves as a fundraising mechanism while a webinar series provides ongoing educational content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thrive app Mobile wellbeing application providing mental health support and wellness resources for civil servants.
• Grief Works app
• Law Express app
• Money toolkit
• Wellbeing toolkit
• Digital resource for carers
• Carer's Emergency Plan Planning tool to help carers prepare for emergencies and ensure continuity of care.
• Financial assistance service
• Relationship counselling
• Community Lottery

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carers Trust: A major UK charity supporting unpaid carers. Directly comparable to the charity's digital resource for carers, Carer's Emergency Plan, and broader 'caring for others' service line.
• StepChange Debt Charity: The UK's leading debt advice charity. Directly comparable to the charity's money advice service, debt and budgeting tools, and financial assistance offerings, though StepChange operates as a specialist nationwide debt provider.
• NHS Charities Together: The national collective charity for NHS-affiliated charitable giving, structurally similar as a dedicated umbrella charity for a UK public sector workforce. Both operate an employee-specific beneficiary model with donations, corporate support, and digital wellbeing offerings.
• Cruse Bereavement Support: The UK's largest bereavement charity. Directly comparable to the Grief Works app and bereavement support service; functions as a specialist provider that the charity may supplement or partner with rather than overlap with.
• Citizens Advice: The primary UK charity for free money, debt, and benefits advice. Directly comparable to the charity's Money Advice Service, debt and budgeting tools, and legal support (Law Express app) offerings, though Citizens Advice operates at materially larger scale.
• Relate: The UK's largest provider of relationship counselling and domestic abuse support. Directly comparable to the charity's relationship counselling and domestic abuse offerings, with similar counselling-led service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Mind: The leading UK mental health charity. Comparable to the Thrive app and wellbeing toolkit, with overlapping mental health, workplace wellbeing, and crisis support services for a broader public beneficiary base.
• Help for Heroes: A larger UK charity supporting armed forces personnel and veterans with a similar mix of financial assistance, mental health, and wellbeing services. Comparable vertical-occupational beneficiary model and digital support tools, though operating at a larger scale and donor base.
• The Royal British Legion: UK charity supporting veterans with welfare, financial, mental health, and bereavement services. Overlaps heavily on multi-category social support delivery and a lottery fundraising product, comparable to the community lottery cited in the charity's revenue model.
• Samaritans: The UK's leading crisis support charity. Comparable to the charity's mental health, gambling/addiction, and crisis-style support services, though focused on a single 24/7 helpline proposition rather than a multi-service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cfcs_uk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cfcs_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/cfcsuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charity-for-civil-servants
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfcs_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Charity for Civil Servants