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The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust

Edinburgh, Scotland Reg: SC051300 (Charity Commission) Sign up to see website
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51
Integrity Assessment
Partial transparency
51/100 · methodology

About The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust

· To encourage and provide assistance to any project, schemes or undertakings, which the Trustees will consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of the community in the Edinburgh area. · To promote and encourage the advancement of education of children and young persons up to the age of 30 by the provision of facilities, projects, schemes, courses of instruction and training and other arrangements. · To provide assistance of an educational, social, welfare or any kind to any such children or young persons whom the Trustees consider to be disadvantaged by reason of ill health, financial or family need or in any other way whatsoever. · To provide assistance to any other established charity · To …

Founded
Headquarters
Edinburgh, Scotland
Foundation type
Trust

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar education in United Kingdom
Program spending This charity: 86%
Peer average: 97%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 51
Peer average: 86

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for Charity Commission removal, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every £1 goes

· FY2025 · oscr (FY2025)
£0.86
£0.14
Program£0.86
Fundraising£0.14
86% to programs beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

GiveRadar's verified records show The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust with a substantially complete profile, sourced from OSCR.

  • By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 92% 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
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records
  • a website
  • a contact email
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • 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 + methodology

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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 2021 and has been operating for 5 years. Its registration number is SC051300. 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 £4M in annual revenue.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust's official registration number is SC051300, as recorded in the national registry of United Kingdom.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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 86% 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.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust is located in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 2021 and has been active for 5 years.

Based on official tax filings, The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust has £4M in annual revenue. It allocates 86% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 97% for education charities in United Kingdom. Fundraising costs represent 14%. 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.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust is classified as an Education organization, registered in United Kingdom. It operates as a Trust. It has £4M in annual revenue.

According to GiveRadar's records, The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and overseen by the Charity Commission. It reports that 86% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 97%). 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.

· To encourage and provide assistance to any project, schemes or undertakings, which the Trustees will consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of the community in the Edinburgh area. · To promote and encourage the advancement of education of children and young persons up to the age of 30 by the provision of facilities, projects, schemes, courses of instruction and training and other arrangements. · To provide assistance of an educational, social, welfare or any kind to any such children or young persons whom the Trustees consider to be disadvantaged by reason of ill health, financial or family need or in any other way whatsoever. ·... The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust is classified as an education organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 2021.

Among education charities registered in United Kingdom: It allocates 86% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 97%. Its annual revenue of £4M is well above the peer average of £994K.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust is a charitable trust, the oldest legal form for UK charities. Trusts are governed by a trust deed and overseen by trustees who manage the charity's assets for the benefit of its stated purposes. Trusts are not incorporated and do not have a separate legal personality. Its Charity Commission registration number is SC051300.

You can verify The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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 The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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 The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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.

The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust was first registered in 2021, making it approximately 5 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.

Annual revenue
£1M-£10M
86% to programs
Source: oscr (FY2025) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

1 year on file from oscr (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Still gathering leadership data

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

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
£4.1M revenue
FY2025
OSCR

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Cause areas in United Kingdom

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Education this charity 87,646
Health 28,382
Religion 22,146
Arts & Culture 21,802
Community Development 10,738
Environment 5,683
Social Services 4,899
Youth Development 4,637
See all cause areas in United Kingdom

Most common causes in United Kingdom

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Education 54,780
Arts & Culture 17,729
Disability 17,106
Religion 16,671
Health 15,045
Poverty 14,062
Community Development 11,486
Cultural Heritage 8,526

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

Last updated
Jun 17, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 17, 2026
Profile completeness
75%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 7
  • Financial data · FY2025 on record
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 2021
Not available · 4
  • Named leadership
    Board and officer list not yet indexed
  • Executive pay
    Top-officer pay not disclosed
  • Mission statement
    No self-published statement of purpose
  • Programs & activities
    No 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.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust

What is The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust?
The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust is a education trust based in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. · To encourage and provide assistance to any project, schemes or undertakings, which the Trustees will consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of the community in the Edinburgh area. · To promote and encourage the advancement of education of children and young persons up to the age of 30 by the provision of facilities, projects, schemes, courses of instruction and training and other arrangements. · To provide assistance of an educational, social, welfare or any kind to any such children or young persons whom the Trustees consider to be disadvantaged by reason of ill health, financial or family need or in any other way whatsoever. · To provide assistance to any other established charity · To provide grants, bursaries, prizes, travel scholarship, study or research grants, books, tools, instruments, kits or any other equipment and generally any other assistance and encouragement, financially or otherwise towards the fulfilment of the foregoing objects. 'the prevention or relief of poverty','the advancement of education','the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage' The Trustees shall hold the Trust Fund for such purposes ('Purposes') only as are within the meaning of charitable purposes in terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 as amended or superseded from time to time which are also regarded as charitable purposes in relation to the application of the Taxes Acts from time to time in force. DECLARING that the Purposes may include all or any of the following purposes:- 3.1 The prevention or relief of poverty through: 3.1.1 the provision of an income to those persons in necessitous circumstances with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on those persons who additionally have strong ties to the City of Edinburgh. 3.1.2 the provision of financial support to those persons in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship, bereavement, or other necessitous circumstances, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on those persons who additionally reside in the Edinburgh and Lothian area, and to Merchant Company members who are found in reduced circumstances. 3.1.3 the provision of assistance to any project, scheme or undertaking which the Trustees consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of any community, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on projects, schemes or undertakings which will benefit those in necessitous circumstances and in the Edinburgh and Lothian area. and 3.1.4 the provision of assistance to any other established charity which the Trustees consider to have purposes similar to either of those described in clause 3.1.1 - 3.1.3 above.
When was The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust founded?
The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust was founded in 2021.
Where is The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust located?
Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom.
What is The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately £1M-£10M. 86% of expenses go to program services.
Is The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust trustworthy?
The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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 The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust's registration number?
Registration: SC051300 (United Kingdom).
What is The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust's website?
https://mcoe.org.uk
Are donations to The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust 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.