Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
Forte Charitable Foundation (formerly Trusthouse Charitable Foundation) is a UK registered charity that awards Small Grants (£2k–£10k) and Major Grants (£10k–£100k) to small and medium-sized charities working in the UK's most deprived urban and rural communities, funded by a circa £80 million endowment yielding a £2.5 million annual grants budget.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Trusthouse Charitable Foundation does
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, now trading as Forte Charitable Foundation following a June 2025 rebrand, is a UK registered charity (Number 1063945) founded in 1997 from the merger of Trust House Forte plc and Granada plc. It operates as a grant-making foundation with an endowment of approximately £80 million, the investment returns on which fund an annual grants budget of circa £2.5 million. The foundation awards Small Grants (£2,000–£10,000, single-year, community support focus, applicant turnover up to £250,000) and Major Grants (£10,000–£50,000 single-year or up to £100,000 over three years, family support focus, applicant turnover up to £500,000), and previously operated a one-off 20th Anniversary Grant programme. All grants require 50% match funding and are restricted to UK-registered charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations operating in the most deprived urban (bottom 15% IMD) or rural (bottom 50% IMD) areas.
The foundation runs a digital-first, rolling application process with no deadlines: Small Grants decisions are made within roughly eight weeks, while Major Grants go through a two-stage process decided at quarterly Grants Committee meetings. Underlying technology is minimal and undifferentiated — a Formstack-based online application form, a website-built eligibility quiz, and a grants gallery showcasing previously funded projects. There is no proprietary platform or technical IP; the foundation's defensible know-how resides in its IMD-based deprivation criteria and its 30-year institutional knowledge of UK grant-making.
Commercially, the foundation is a non-profit entity governed by an 11-member Board of Trustees with day-to-day operations outsourced to Smith Square Trading Ltd, a subsidiary of the Centre for Social Justice. Revenue mechanics are investment-income-based rather than sales-based: payout is constrained by the endowment's return, which caps annual deployment at roughly £2.5 million. The customer base consists of small and medium-sized UK charities working on family support, community support, youth, addiction, homelessness and rural services; 221 grants have been awarded to date, with £760,291 disbursed to 9 Major Grant recipients in July 2026 alone.
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
- Legal name
- Forte Charitable Foundation
- Website
- https://trusthousecharitablefoundation.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Forte Charitable Foundation (formerly Trusthouse Charitable Foundation) is a UK registered charity that awards Small Grants (£2k–£10k) and Major Grants (£10k–£100k) to small and medium-sized charities working in the UK's most deprived urban and rural communities, funded by a circa £80 million endowment yielding a £2.5 million annual grants budget.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Grant Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)
Keywords
Where Trusthouse Charitable Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation was established in 1997 with investments totalling circa £80 million. The return from these investments provides the annual grants budget of some £2.5 million which is awarded to charitable organisations and projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Major Grants: £10,000-£50,000 single year or up to £100,000 over 3 years |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Small Grants: £2,000-£10,000 for one year |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation (now operating as Forte Charitable Foundation) is a UK grant-making foundation that awards grants to small and medium-sized local charities and not-for-profit organisations working in communities of extreme urban deprivation or deprived rural districts. It operates two rolling grant programmes — Small Grants of £2,000–£10,000 for Community Support and Major Grants of £10,000–£100,000 (up to 3 years) for Family Support — funded by an endowment of circa £80 million that yields an annual grants budget of approximately £2.5 million.
Product overview
Forte Charitable Foundation (formerly Trusthouse Charitable Foundation) operates as a grant-making foundation offering two main grant programmes: Small Grants (£2,000-£10,000 for community support) and Major Grants (£10,000-£100,000 over 1-3 years for family support). The foundation also administered a special 20th Anniversary Grant programme. All grants require 50% match funding and target organisations in deprived areas of the UK with annual income limits of £250,000 (Small) and £500,000 (Major).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Small Grants Programme
- Major Grants Programme
- 20th Anniversary Grant
Quantifiable outcome
- 221 awarded grants across the UK
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers24 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Smith Square Trading LtdcoreSmith Square Trading Ltd, a subsidiary of the Centre for Social Justice, manages Forte Charitable Foundation on a day-to-day basis. The two charities are entirely independent of each other. The foundation's board of trustees determines general policy while Smith Square Trading handles operational management.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Henry Smith Charity: UK grantmaking foundation with similar tiered grant programmes targeting disadvantaged communities, including main and small grants streams - directly comparable in structure and beneficiary focus.
- The Dulverton Trust: UK grantmaking trust of similar size and focus on youth, welfare, and community organisations; comparable endowment-driven model and grant range.
- The Tudor Trust: UK grantmaking trust with a comparable focus on smaller, community-led charities and multi-year, unrestricted-style core funding; similar size band and beneficiary profile make it a near-direct peer.
- Lloyds Bank Foundation: UK charity supporting small and medium-sized charities tackling disadvantage through unrestricted and capacity-building grants - directly comparable grant size, eligibility framing, and grantee profile.
Emerging players
- The Allen Lane Foundation: Smaller UK grantmaking foundation funding marginalised communities and asylum seekers; overlapping beneficiary focus but narrower thematic remit and smaller scale.
- The Eveson Charitable Trust: Mid-sized UK grantmaking trust funding small charities in the West Midlands and Wales; comparable size and grants model but with a tighter regional concentration.
Broad incumbents
- The Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Larger UK foundation with overlapping focus on disadvantage, migration, and early years; broader thematic remit and significantly larger grants portfolio than the subject.
- Garfield Weston Foundation: One of the largest UK family foundations funding a wide range of charitable causes including community and welfare; comparable UK geographic scope but materially larger in scale.
- The Robertson Trust: Large Scottish-rooted UK-wide grantmaker with similar focus on tackling poverty and supporting charities; comparable model but much larger endowment and broader portfolio.
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: One of the largest UK independent grantmakers with a broader portfolio across social change, environment, and culture; overlapping beneficiary segments but materially larger endowment and scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceTrusthouse Charitable Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trusthouse Charitable Foundation
What does Trusthouse Charitable Foundation do?
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation (now operating as Forte Charitable Foundation) is a UK grant-making foundation that awards grants to small and medium-sized local charities and not-for-profit organisations working in communities of extreme urban deprivation or deprived rural districts. It operates two rolling grant programmes — Small Grants of £2,000–£10,000 for Community Support and Major Grants of £10,000–£100,000 (up to 3 years) for Family Support — funded by an endowment of circa £80 million that yields an annual grants budget of approximately £2.5 million.
Is Trusthouse Charitable Foundation a public or private company?
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Trusthouse Charitable Foundation founded?
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Trusthouse Charitable Foundation based?
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Trusthouse Charitable Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: endowment Investment Returns.
Who are Trusthouse Charitable Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Henry Smith Charity, The Dulverton Trust, The Tudor Trust and Lloyds Bank Foundation. Emerging players are The Allen Lane Foundation and The Eveson Charitable Trust. Broad incumbents are The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Robertson Trust and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Does Trusthouse Charitable Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trusthouse Charitable Foundation.
What industry is Trusthouse Charitable Foundation in?
Trusthouse Charitable Foundation's product category is Charitable Grant Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations, with a secondary code of FSAAANAI, Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services. Its NAICS code is 813211.