What The Charity Service does

The Charity Service is an independent registered charity (Charity No. 1011293) founded in 1990 and headquartered in Manchester, UK, with a five-employee team that administers Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), delivers philanthropy advice to donors with £250,000+ in assets, and runs targeted grant programmes including the Greater Manchester Grants Programme, Cinderella Grants, the Dick Camplin Education Trust, and Human Rights and Nursing Awards. In 2024/25 the organisation channelled approximately £1.7m through to frontline charities, up from £1.4m in 2021–22. The DAF and Philanthropy Advice offerings sit at the core of the proposition, with sustainable investment options delivered through long-standing partners Castlefield and Tribe Impact Capital (joined September 2025) and ethical banking provided via Unity Trust Bank.

The business model is fee-based and structured around DAF management charges of 0.4–0.1% per annum (subject to a minimum quarterly £650), an overseas grant processing fee of £90 per transaction, and advisory work for high-net-worth donors. Distribution relies on referrals from UK wealth advisers and the North West Philanthropy Network, with no proprietary technology platform described; operations are human-led across due diligence, grant administration, and donor relationship management. A new Participatory Grant-making Programme, launched with The Booth Centre in April 2025 and extended with a second round in September 2025, marks a methodological shift toward beneficiary-involved grant-making.

Recognition in the form of the 2025 Wealth for Good Award (Innovative Offering or Advice category) provides third-party validation of the DAF and advisory proposition, while ongoing trustee recruitment and a 35-year milestone indicate continued organisational renewal. The competitive position rests on 35 years of operating history, trust-based relationships with major donors, curated partner ecosystem, and a regionally anchored grant footprint — all supported by a deliberately small, specialist team rather than scale-driven operations.

Name

The Charity Service

Legal name

The Charity Service

Website

https://charityservice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Charity Service is a Manchester-based registered charity, founded in 1990, that administers Donor Advised Funds and provides philanthropy advice to major donors alongside targeted grant programmes for Greater Manchester and specialist causes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy and Charitable Fund Management

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Donor advised funds
• Philanthropy advisory services
• Charitable grantmaking
• Sustainable investment management
• Community grant programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Advised Fund management fees: The Charity Service charges annual management fees on Donor Advised Funds held on behalf of donors. Fees are currently 0.4–0.1% per annum with a minimum quarterly charge of £650. These fees cover administration, compliance, due diligence, and grant management.
2. Sustainable investment management (via partners): Donor Advised Fund account holder funds are placed with ethical banking and investment firms (Castlefield and Tribe Impact Capital) to achieve tax-free growth. The organisation works with these partners to manage and grow donor funds.
3. Philanthropy advice services: The organisation offers a specialist philanthropy advice service to donors who have £250,000 or more to give to charity, providing strategic guidance on giving.
4. Overseas grant processing fee: A small fee of £90 is charged to cover extra due diligence checks for overseas grants, ensuring compliance with UK regulatory requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Charity Service is an independent UK-registered charity that manages Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and provides specialist philanthropy advice to high-net-worth donors with £250,000 or more to give. It also administers multiple grant programmes for charities and community groups, including the Greater Manchester Grants Programme, Cinderella Grants, and a Participatory Grant-making Programme focused on homelessness prevention, while partnering with ethical investment firms to grow donor funds sustainably.

Product overview

The Charity Service offers a unified suite of charitable giving services centered around Donor Advised Funds as the core product. Their portfolio includes two main service lines: (1) Donor Advised Funds with integrated Philanthropy Advice Service for major donors with £250,000 or more to give, providing tax-efficient giving, ethical investment management, and grant-making support; and (2) Direct Grant Programmes including Greater Manchester Grants Programme, Cinderella Grants, and the Participatory Grant-making Programme. Additional award programmes include Human Rights and Nursing Awards and the Dick Camplin Education Trust scholarship. The organization operates on a not-for-profit basis with sustainable investment partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds (DAF) A philanthropic fund held by a registered charity that allows major donors to make a charitable donation, receive immediate Gift Aid tax relief, and then recommend grants to charities over several years. The Charity Service manages all administration, due diligence, compliance, and sustainable investment of the funds on behalf of individual donors.
• Philanthropy Advice Service Specialist philanthropy advice service for donors with £250,000 or more to give, helping them develop charitable giving strategies aligned with their motivations, interests, and risk appetite. Includes guidance on DAF selection, conversion of charitable trusts, ethical investment, and overseas giving.
• Greater Manchester Grants Programme Annual grant programme providing over £100,000 of funding each year to registered charities, community groups, and voluntary organisations in Greater Manchester assisting disadvantaged, sick, or disabled individuals. Grants are typically around £3,000 each.
• Cinderella Grants Grant programme supporting the costs of respite care and support, including holidays, for children and young people under 25 who are sick, convalescent, have special educational needs, or are disadvantaged.
• Participatory Grant-making Programme A grant programme that shifts decision-making power to those with lived experience of homelessness. Provides grants up to £5,000 to registered charities working to prevent homelessness in Greater Manchester, decided by a grant committee composed of people with direct experience of homelessness.
• Human Rights and Nursing Awards Annual award programme providing grants to two exemplary nurses to celebrate their outstanding commitment and work to promote human rights.
• Dick Camplin Education Trust Scholarship programme supporting students from Loreto College in Hulme, Manchester, who have overcome significant barriers to attend university, typically from low-income families.
• Chronicle Cinderella Home Fund Fund awarding grants to families from Greater Manchester to support respite care costs for children and young people under 25 who are sick or have special educational needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of funded charities reported that The Charity Service has a good understanding of their needs (2024/25)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tribe Impact CapitalcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2025Tribe Impact Capital is the UK's first dedicated impact wealth manager and a certified B Corporation. They joined The Charity Service's panel of sustainable investment managers in September 2025. Tribe assesses every investment for both financial performance and positive social and environmental impact, aligning with The Charity Service's exclusively sustainable investment policy.
• The Booth CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025The Booth Centre is a homelessness charity in Manchester. The Charity Service funds the Participatory Grantmaking Programme in partnership with The Booth Centre and a group of people with lived experience of homelessness and accessing homeless services. The Booth Centre provides expertise in co-creation and training for the grant committee, while The Charity Service provides funding and administration.
• CastlefieldcoreTechnology or IntegrationCastlefield is an award-winning, employee-owned investment management and financial planning group with a reputation for being at the forefront of ethical investing. They operate as a values-based manager ('Thoughtful Investor') and are a key investment partner for The Charity Service's Donor Advised Fund holder funds. Castlefield is part of The Charity Service's panel of sustainable investment managers.
• Unity Trust BankminorOthersUnity Trust Bank is referenced as one of the ethical banking and investment firms used by The Charity Service for placing donor funds. Unity Trust Bank is known for its ethical banking practices.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Forever Manchester: Greater Manchester community foundation funding local charities and community groups. Direct regional peer for The Charity Service's Greater Manchester Grants Programme, operating a similar grant-making model in the same geography.
• Quartet Community Foundation: A West of England community foundation offering DAF-like services and grant-making for local charities. Comparable to The Charity Service in combining community grant-making with donor funds, though focused on a different region.

Direct peers

• Foundation Source: A US-based provider of administrative and DAF services for private foundations and philanthropists. Operates a comparable donor-advised model with a focus on personalised service and back-office administration, and represents a model the UK market may evolve toward.
• American Endowment Foundation: US-based DAF sponsor offering donor-advised funds with low minimums and personalised service. Comparable to The Charity Service in its emphasis on flexibility and donor relationships, with international giving capabilities.
• National Philanthropic Trust: One of the largest US DAF sponsors, administering billions in charitable assets through donor-advised funds and philanthropy services. A comparable institutional DAF operator whose scale benchmarks what a mature UK DAF sponsor can become.
• Prism the Gift Fund: A UK registered charity and DAF sponsor offering donor-advised giving, charity accounts, and international grant-making support. Direct competitor to The Charity Service for HNW donors seeking a small, specialist DAF provider with personalised service.
• Charities Aid Foundation: The largest UK charity for giving, operating a Donor Advised Fund (CAF Charitable Trust) and Gift Aid services for individuals and companies. Directly comparable to The Charity Service as a UK DAF sponsor serving major donors, with broader scale and brand recognition.
• The ShareGift Trust: UK DAF sponsor that pools small shareholdings and other donations to grant to charities. Comparable operating model as a UK DAF sponsor but focused on small donations rather than the £250k+ donor segment The Charity Service targets.

Broad incumbents

• UK Community Foundations: The umbrella network for 47 accredited UK community foundations that operate DAFs and grant programmes. Comparable ecosystem competitor pooling local giving infrastructure across regions, including capabilities that overlap with The Charity Service's regional grant programmes.
• Coutts Foundation: Philanthropy and foundation services offered by Coutts, the UK private bank, as part of a broader HNW wealth management franchise. Adjacent competitor in philanthropy advice for UHNW clients, but embedded within a wider banking and investment proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-charity-service-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Charity Service