Guest Article: Charis

Discover how Charis has been empowering charities and not-for-profits for over 20 years, providing vital financial and product support to vulnerable individuals and families.

Who is Charis?

For more than 20 years, Charis has been helping charities and not-for-profit organisations manage and distribute financial and product support to vulnerable individuals and their families.

The Charis Shop

Our one-stop e-commerce platform enables organisations to load money into their Shop account and then purchase fee-free vouchers, energy efficient appliances, heated wearables, devices, carpeting, furniture, and home insulation for distribution directly to the customer’s home (or device).

The product range has been carefully curated to solve for a diversity of basic needs associated with economic hardship, thermal inefficiency and digital exclusion.  With the cost of living reaching overwhelming levels for many, our partners are essentially using the Shop to help households put food on the table, heat their properties (and themselves), clothe children, connect with loved ones and apply for jobs.

Easy to sign up to and simple to use, The Charis Shop is deployed by over 500 organisations looking to distribute support in a faster, more cost-effective, controlled and auditable way.

If you would like to understand more about the Charis Shop, we are holding a webinar on Thursday, 30th May and we would love to see you there. Register by clicking on this link.

If you can’t make the webinar but would like to know more about the Shop let us know by clicking here or by emailing NickHarding@charisgrants.com.

Tailored Scheme and Foundation Management

In addition to our one-stop Shop, we also create and administer bespoke programmes of support for the vulnerable customers and community projects of enterprises and larger charities and non-profits.

We manage E.ON Next’s Energy Fund and EDF’s Customer Support Fund both of which rely on complex workflows, eligibility criteria and evidence checks to deliver debt write-off outcomes and product support.  Millions of pounds of help is provided by both schemes every year.

The flexibility of our software and processes means that we can also support B2B projects.  Last month we were proud to launch the npower Business Solutions Foundation which funds community projects in West Midlands and Yorkshire. Charis manages the application process, oversees project selection and distributes funding to the successful applicants.

Not-for-profit organisations such as local charities, social enterprises and schools and universities can apply for grants from £10,000 up to as much as £100,000 to fund projects that help to improve the environment, reduce inequality, encourage responsible business and support skills and employment opportunities.

If you’re interested in talking to us about the management of a scheme, foundation or trust, let know by clicking here.

If you’re interested in applying for an nBS Foundation grant you can find further information at: npower Business Solutions Foundation | community fund