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Visit www.mcoe.org.ukAbout Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board
The Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board (the “Education Board”) is responsible for The Mary Erskine School and Stewart’s Melville College, including their combined Junior School, (Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools or ESMS) and George Watson’s College (GWC) (the “Schools”). The Merchant Company Education Board endowments are held and administered for the purposes of the provision of education at the Edinburgh Merchant Company schools, their maintenance and management and the provision of means tested financial assistance to a proportion of their pupils. The main activity undertaken continues to be the provision of education to children and young people from the ages of 3-18 through our Schools. The Schools offer sector-leading, rounded education, with a broad curriculum, strong academic results, comprehensive pastoral care …
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 6 similar education in United KingdomConcerns
· None foundWhere every £1 goes
· FY2025 · oscr (FY2025)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board has a substantially complete profile, sourced from OSCR.
- Established in 1928, it is among the oldest education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks. View this cohort
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 98% of the 78,357 education charities in the United Kingdom with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- Its integrity score of 51 is below most of the 87,708 education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks. GiveRadar bases this on limited verified information so far, with little on record for its governance. Explore United Kingdom data
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- a website
- a contact email
- leadership details (present for 78% of comparable organizations)
- a donation page
- third-party accreditation
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyEdinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is a registered education nonprofit based in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 1928 and has been operating for 98 years. Its registration number is SC009747. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 51/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £83M in annual revenue.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board's official registration number is SC009747, as recorded in the national registry of United Kingdom.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 51/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 51 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. The charity allocates 99% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United Kingdom is 86/100.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is located in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 1928 and has been active for 98 years.
Based on official tax filings, Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board has £83M in annual revenue. It allocates 99% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 85% for education charities in United Kingdom. Fundraising costs represent 1%. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of £994K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is classified as an Education organization, registered in United Kingdom. It operates as a Statutory Corporation. It has £83M in annual revenue.
According to GiveRadar's records, Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and overseen by the Charity Commission. It reports that 99% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 85%). GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
The Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board (the “Education Board”) is responsible for The Mary Erskine School and Stewart’s Melville College, including their combined Junior School, (Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools or ESMS) and George Watson’s College (GWC) (the “Schools”). The Merchant Company Education Board endowments are held and administered for the purposes of the provision of education at the Edinburgh Merchant Company schools, their maintenance and management and the provision of means tested financial assistance to a proportion of their pupils. The main activity undertaken continues to be the provision of education to children and young people from the ages of 3-18 through our Schools. The Schools offer sector-leading, rounded education... Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is classified as an education organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 1928.
Among education charities registered in United Kingdom: It allocates 99% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 85%. Its annual revenue of £83M is well above the peer average of £994K.
You can verify Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board in several ways. First, search the Charity Commission Register at https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/ - every charity registered in England and Wales appears here with its registration number, trustees, governing document, and filed accounts. Second, check whether the charity's annual return and accounts are up to date - the Commission flags charities with overdue filings. Third, look for the Fundraising Regulator badge on the charity's website, which signals voluntary compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Contact Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board directly for current donation methods. UK charities typically accept online card payments, direct debit, and bank transfer. Many also use platforms such as JustGiving or Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). If you are a UK taxpayer, make sure to tick the Gift Aid box: it lets the charity reclaim 25p from HMRC for every pound you give at no extra cost to you. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim back the difference between basic-rate and their marginal rate through Self Assessment. Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn) lets you donate pre-tax through your employer.
Donations to Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board are eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK income-tax or capital-gains-tax payer. Gift Aid adds 25% to your donation at no cost to you (the charity reclaims basic-rate tax from HMRC). Higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers can also claim back the difference through Self Assessment or by adjusting their PAYE tax code. Gifts of shares, property, or land to charity are free of Capital Gains Tax and can be deducted from your income for Income Tax purposes. Legacy gifts (in your will) reduce the value of your estate for Inheritance Tax and can lower the IHT rate from 40% to 36% if you leave at least 10% to charity.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is based in Edinburgh in Scotland. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board was first registered in 1928, making it approximately 98 years old. UK charities must file an annual return with the Charity Commission to remain on the register. A long registration history generally indicates sustained operations and continuous regulatory compliance.
Filing history
5 years on file from oscr (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is in United Kingdom, a TGE (Transnational Giving Europe) member country. Dutch donors can route gifts via Stichting Transnational Giving Europe to receive Dutch ANBI-equivalent deductibility, subject to TGE's 5% pass-through fee.
Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is registered in United Kingdom. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
We check government filings and charity disclosures quarterly. If you represent this charity, claim this page to add officers directly.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
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Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United Kingdom
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United Kingdom
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities
- Financial filings
- Charity Commission annual returns - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2025 on record
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 1928
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Named leadershipBoard and officer list not yet indexed
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Executive payTop-officer pay not disclosed
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Mission statementNo self-published statement of purpose
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board
- What is Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board?
- Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board is a education statutory corporation based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. The Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board (the “Education Board”) is responsible for The Mary Erskine School and Stewart’s Melville College, including their combined Junior School, (Erskine Stewart’s Melville Schools or ESMS) and George Watson’s College (GWC) (the “Schools”). The Merchant Company Education Board endowments are held and administered for the purposes of the provision of education at the Edinburgh Merchant Company schools, their maintenance and management and the provision of means tested financial assistance to a proportion of their pupils. The main activity undertaken continues to be the provision of education to children and young people from the ages of 3-18 through our Schools. The Schools offer sector-leading, rounded education, with a broad curriculum, strong academic results, comprehensive pastoral care and a varied and extensive range of co-curricular activities. This all-round approach gives every student the opportunity to excel. 'the advancement of education','the advancement of citizenship or community development','the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science','the advancement of public participation in sport','the advancement of environmental protection or improvement','the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage' The Education Board?s Charitable Purposes are: (a) the advancement of education, particularly the education and advancement of children and young people. (b) the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture and science. (c) the advancement of public participation in sport. (d) the provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the persons for whom the facilities or activities are primarily intended. and (e) the advancement of citizenship or community development.
- When was Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board founded?
- Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board was founded in 1928.
- Where is Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board located?
- Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
- What is Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately £10M-£100M. 99% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board trustworthy?
- Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 51 out of 100 (Partial transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board's registration number?
- Registration: SC009747 (United Kingdom).
- What is Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board's website?
- https://www.mcoe.org.uk
- Are donations to Edinburgh Merchant Company Education Board tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.