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The Coutts Foundation

The Coutts Foundation

Supporting charities to help shape brighter tomorrows.

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The mission of the Coutts Foundation is to support sustainable approaches to tackle the causes and consequences of poverty, in the communities where Coutts has a presence, leading to brighter tomorrows.

The Coutts Foundation

Building on the legacy of Thomas Coutts and his great-granddaughter Angela Burdett-Coutts, a progressive 19th-century philanthropist, the Coutts Foundation focuses primarily on work that:

supports vulnerable women and girls and
work that empowers young people through the performing arts.

The Coutts Foundation is an independent corporate foundation, supported by Coutts.

The Coutts Foundation makes significant commitments to a small number of organisations that reflect its mission.

Organisations supporting women and girls

We currently support women and girls charities that:

intervene early and seek to prevent violence against women and girls
empower women and girls to move beyond the trauma they have experienced and flourish
support children who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing domestic abuse.

We continue to identify specialist women and girls organisations and particularly those that are led by and for black and minoritised women and girls.

Aanchal Women’s Aid

Aanchal Women’s Aid has for nearly 40 years, supported over 40,000 women and children to live a life free from abuse, working to ensure they can achieve financial and emotional self-reliance. Aanchal offers a free and confidential service for Asian women and their children who have experienced or who are experiencing domestic violence with emotional and practical support, guidance and tools to enable them to make positive life decisions and live a fulfilling life.

A grant of £120,000 over three years (£40k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Visit Aanchal Women's Aid

Acorns

Acorns has been providing services to victims and survivors of domestic abuse aged four to eighteen and their families in North Tyneside for over 20 years and in Northumberland since 2018. Acorns specialises in play therapy and one-tone trauma informed counselling services, as well as offering parent and carer support, group work, prevention and healthy relationships work in schools and colleges and one-to-one outreach support both at school and in the community. Acorns offers a range of services under their priority areas of 'Prevent, Cope, Participate and Recover' aimed to help survivors to recognise their own strengths and skills, putting the power of recovery in their hands.

A grant of £120,000 (£40k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Visit Acorns

Amina

Amina is an award-winning charity that empowers and supports Muslim and BME women to create an inclusive Scotland in which they can contribute fully and fulfil their aspirations. Amina is recognised as the national hub for gaining access to and consulting with marginalised voices across Scotland.

Amina offers a range of tailored support services on a one-to-one basis including their helpline, employability support and befriending and group support including violence against women workshops and refugee work. Amina also creatively raises awareness of key issues including their schoolwork engaging with over 2,000 young people to tackle prejudice and hate crime.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Visit Amina

Clore Social Leadership

Through transformative skills and development programme, Clore Social Leadership supports and invests in social sector leaders, enabling them to build the capabilities, confidence and resilience to transform their organisations, communities and the world around them. Clore Social Leadership's dedicated Women and Girls Sector programme contributes towards creating a more resilient, innovative and connected women and girls sector. The initiative brings together the leadership development expertise of Clore Social, with the knowledge, skills and networks of specialist women and girls organisations and experts - working together to develop more effective and impactful leaders, building their connections, facilitating learning and promoting collaborative efforts for societal change.

A grant of £12,000 was provided in 2020 and a further grant of £20,000 was approved in 2024.

Visit Clore Social Leadership

Kiran Support Services

Kiran Support Services was established in 1990 in the London Borough of Waltham Forest to meet the needs of women and children from the Indian sub-continent and has since expanded to support the wider Asian community. In 2017 Kiran expanded further by opening a second refuge in the London Borough of Brent and in 2020 they acquired a third building from Notting Hill Genesis.

Kiran’s mission is to provide a safe, nurturing space and resource of high quality, where Asian women overcoming domestic violence (and their children) can identify options and develop skills that enable them to take control of their lives emotionally, financially and practically.

A grant of £135,000 over three years (£45,000 per annum) was approved in 2023.

Muslim Women's Network UK (MWNUK)

The Muslim Women's Network UK (MWNUK) is the only independent national organisation which continues to construct platforms for British Muslim women to have their voices heard on a number of issues. Their mission is a UK network of women and men to share knowledge, connect the voices and promote the needs of diverse Muslim women. Their vision is a society where Muslim women can have an effective voice and the opportunity to contribute equally.

A grant of £120,000 (£40k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Visit MWNUK

The Pandora Project

The Pandora Project was established in 2013 to provide emotional and practical support for women affected by domestic abuse in West Norfolk.

Pandora quickly expanded to work with children and young people, recognising them as the hidden victims in abusive households. Group support followed and with the input of their clients they wrote their own recovery programme callled 'Open the Box'.

Pandora Projects’ service has grown and expanded into North Norfolk and now supports about 600 people a year.

The objectives of the charity are to promote and protect the good health of victims of domestic abuse and victims of trafficking in Norfolk by providing advocacy, advice, support and information.

Pandora Project offers one-to-one and group support, legal advice and outreach work within the local community.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2024.

Visit The Pandora Project

PHOEBE

PHOEBE offers specialist advice, information, casework, advocacy and support and counselling services to Black and minoritised women and children across Suffolk who are affected by gender-based violence and other cultural harmful practices. Their support is holistic, person-centred and trauma-informed across a range of areas, including specialist domestic abuse advocacy, immigration advice, counselling, support groups, food pantry, maternity safe spaces, life skills workshops, training, awareness raising and outreach and youth programmes.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2024.

Visit PHOEBE

Surviving Economic Abuse

Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of economic abuse and transforming responses to it. It is a young charity but has grown significantly since it was established in 2017.

1 in 6 women in the UK will experience economic abuse. The effects can last a lifetime, with some victims never free of the abuser’s control – left in debt, without access to money or a home. SEA works to save lives and stop economic abuse forever.

Their overarching aim is for women and girls to experience economic equality free from economic abuse. They want to raise awareness of economic abuse and transform the response to it.

A grant of £135,000 over three years (£45k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Tender

Tender is an arts charity working with young people to help to prevent domestic abuse and sexual violence. It supports young women to identify and avoid abuse and empowers all young people to form healthy relationships based on equality and respect. Ultimately, Tender's work aims to prevent young people from becoming involved in abusive relationships throughout their lives, and avoid the traumatic consequences, social disadvantage and poverty that arise from abuse.

A grant of £90,000 over three years (£30k per annum) was approved in 2019.
A further unrestricted grant of £120,000 over three years (£40k per annum) was approved in 2022.
A £4,000 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £4,000 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit Tender

Trafford Domestic Abuse Services (TDAS)

Trafford Domestic Abuse Services (TDAS) is a charity that offers support to individuals and families living or working in the Trafford area who are suffering or who have suffered domestic abuse. TDAS provides both intervention and prevention services and they work in partnership with other voluntary organisations to support families across Greater Manchester to enable people to 'break free from domestic abuse'. They achieve this through the provision of safe and supportive spaces and temporary accommodation for women and children who have or are experiencing domestic abuse; the provision of community support to those people who have experienced domestic abuse and the education of the public, and those who work in partnership with public, private , voluntary, community and social enterprise in issues relating to domestic abuse including its nature, impact and causes.

A grant of £135,000 (£45k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Winner

Winner, the Preston Road Women's Centre, provides information, support and advice to women in Hull, supporting them to have the best possible quality of life and life chances. It works intensively with 800 women a year, and a further 5,000 women and children benefit from services including domestic violence and abuse support, nursery childcare provision, young women's confidence and engagement, volunteering and training opportunities.

A grant of £150,000 over three years (£50k per annum) was approved in 2019.
A further unrestricted grant of £150,000 over three years (£50k per annum) was approved in 2022.
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit Winner

Women Acting in Today's Society (WAITS)

WAITS is a growing organisation that responds to the needs of women experiencing domestic abuse by providing advocacy, support, accommodation, and training. They specialise in supporting Black and minority ethnic women and women offenders.

Their vision is a society where women are safe, valued and fulfilled.

Their mission is to empower women to make positive choices in their own lives.

A grant of £120,000 over three years (£40k per annum) was approved in 2023.

Visit WAITS

Organisations supporting young people through the performing arts

We currently support charities that empower young people through the performing arts, particularly those co-created with young people in some of the most deprived areas of the country.

20 Stories High

20 Stories High aims to create bold, contemporary and imaginative theatre with and for young people in Liverpool, particularly those from diverse and socially excluded communities. It brings new audiences into theatre venues and takes theatre out into communities locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2021.
A £4,000 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £3,500 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit 20 Stories High

Cardboard Citizens

Cardboard Citizens creates work with and for people who experience homelessness, inequality, or poverty. They provide theatre, art and/or training that explores, interrogates, and challenges the injustices that are most alive in the world. They believe that theatre and art can transform, that it can challenge the individual to grow and ignite a fire in the belly of wider society to change.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2022.
A £3,500 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit Cardboard Citizens

Contact

Contact uses creativity to empower young people, with a focus on reaching disadvantaged, under-served and excluded young people. At Contact, young people aged 13-30 genuinely lead, working alongside staff to provide a diverse and accessible artistic programme for everyone. Contact offers an open access weekly youth theatre programme and progression routes to develop performance to a professional-standard and provide leadership training and entrepreneurial skills. Contact aims to enable young people to change their lives through the arts.

A grant of £150,000 over three years (£50k per annum) was approved in 2021.
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.
A further grant of £165,000 over three years (£55k per annum) was agreed in 2023.

Visit Contact

Create

Create are a national charity that champions local priorities by collaborating with partners to tailor projects to individual needs. Create runs creative arts projects across the UK to empower lives, reduce isolation and enhance wellbeing of the most marginalised participants. All Create’s projects are run by professional artists - who enable children and adults excluded through disability, disadvantage, ill-health, poverty or social isolation to take part in high quality creative arts experiences.

They are given a chance to express themselves, build skills, meet other people and nurture their wellbeing through animation, dance, drama, music, painting, photography and a host of other artforms. They believe that everyone, regardless of their circumstances, should have access to the power of creativity. Since Create was founded in 2003, they have supported over 43,000 participants.

A grant of £120,000 over three years (£40k per annum) was awarded in 2024.

Immediate Theatre

Immediate Theatre provides participatory theatre programmes aimed at helping disadvantaged young people aged 5-25, living in Hackney, to reach their potential. Estate-based Youth Theatre in community venues is the cornerstone of the work. Its objectives are: to provide inspiring participatory theatre programmes enabling people to reach their potential and prevent exclusion and social isolation; to create performances which explore social issues, engage people in the process of change and influence decision making; to improve health and wellbeing and increase life skills and employability through engagement in the arts.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2021.
A £3,500 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £3,500 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.
A further grant of £115,000 over three years (£38,500 per annum) was agreed in 2023.

Visit Immediate Theatre

Toonspeak

Toonspeak aims to transform lives through creativity. Toonspeak is recognised as a forerunner in youth leadership and inclusive governance, and they are young person led, with participants supported to serve on the board of directors and empowered to influence the development of the organisation. Rooted in communities across the North of Glasgow and working with a network of partners, Toonspeak are community-focused, whilst seeking to influence peers across sectors throughout Scotland and beyond.

A grant of £135,000 over three years (£45k per annum) was approved in 2022.
A £4,500 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit Toonspeak

Travelling Light Theatre Company

Travelling Light creates award-winning theatre for and with young people that inspires their thinking, engages their emotions, and fires their imaginations.

The company offers a participation programme which includes youth theatre, creative learning, community engagement and employability projects and creates high quality professional shows for young audiences which tour nationally and internationally.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£35k per annum) was approved in 2021.
A £3,500 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £3,500 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit Travelling Light Theatre Company

Trinity Community Arts

Based in a listed Georgian church, Trinity Community Arts is the arts hub for East Bristol. Trinity believes that art improves individual well-being, empowers communities and enhances society. Its vision is for everyone to have the opportunity to access and shape arts and culture.

Towards this aim it offers a diverse programme of arts, heritage, and cultural projects, activities and events reaching over 60,000 people each year. A key element of Trinity's programme focuses specifically on disadvantaged young people.

A grant of £105,000 over three years (£50k per annum) was approved in 2021.
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.

Visit Trinity Community Arts

Other organisations we support

The Connection at St Martin’s is London’s busiest homelessness charity supporting people away from the streets through specialist services including street outreach, a day and emergency night centre, help finding relevant training, volunteering or employment, and specialist mental health and addiction support.

An unrestricted grant of £180,000 over three years (£60K per annum) was approved in 2017. A further grant of £180,000 over three years (£60k per annum) was approved in 2019.
A further grant of £242,000 over three years was awarded in 2019 to support the Street Engagement Team - a new day-time outreach service to support the wider street population in Westminster. This grant was extended for a further six months in 2022 (£41,840).
A £5,000 cost of living grant was awarded in December 2022.
A £10,000 cost of living grant was awarded in June 2023.
In 2022 an additional three-year unrestricted grant of £258,839.50 was agreed.

Visit The Connection at St. Martin's

Who we are

The Board and Staff of the Coutts Foundation bring a wealth of experience and expertise. All are committed to the mission to support sustainable approaches to tackle the causes and consequences of poverty.

The Board of the Coutts Foundation includes members who are appointed by Coutts as well as Trustees who are independent of Coutts.

The Coutts Foundation is run by its Director and is fortunate to be supported by volunteers and staff of Coutts who offer their expertise pro-bono.

Find out more about our trustees, staff and advisers

Information for grant-seekers

The Coutts Foundation adopts a proactive approach to its philanthropy and in its identification of organisations to support. The Foundation's focus is supporting UK registered charities that support women and girls and charities that empower young people through the performing arts, with a particular focus on addressing the causes and consequences of poverty. It is especially interested in organisations that are developing innovative solutions and/or those whose successful work has the potential to be scaled up. The Foundation applies clear criteria in its selection of funding recipients.

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding. However, if you wish to bring information about your organisation or programmes that fit with our funding priorities to our attention, please complete the information submission form and either email it to us or post it.

Coutts Foundation,
440 Strand,
London WC2R 0QS

The Coutts Foundation will be in touch if we would like to learn more about your organisation. The Coutts Foundation is a Living Wage Funder. Thank you for your interest in the Coutts Foundation.

Key documents

Coutts Foundation Privacy Statement

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement

Consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) or ethical factors in investment decision-making

The Coutts Foundation is committed to transparency, and we work with 360 Giving to publish information about our grants.

Using the 360 Giving Data Standard, our awarded grants since 2015 are available as a JSON file below to download. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. This means the data is freely accessible to anyone to be used and shared as they wish. The data must be attributed to the Coutts Foundation.

We have published our grants on 360 Giving, an initiative that aims to help UK funders publish their data in an open and standard format online. By publishing our data in an open format through 360 Giving, it can be shared and compared more easily.

Coutts Foundation 360 Giving March 2025

The Coutts Foundation is an independent charity registered in England and Wales. Registered charity number: 1150784 and a company limited by guarantee (number: 8395296).