Trusts and foundations fund some of the most important work happening in this country, from cutting-edge medical research to grassroots community projects that would never attract a mass public donation. And yet, as our data consistently shows, most people have little idea they exist.

We already know that public awareness is low. Only 23% of the public say they have heard of charitable trusts and foundations and understand what they are. Two-thirds cannot name a single one. But what about the people who make the laws? What do the MPs debating funding, regulation, and the future of civil society actually think about these organisations?

That is the question this report sets out to answer. Drawing on data from 100 MPs surveyed as part of our nfpPolitics Westminster tracker between 19th November and 18th December 2025, alongside our December 2024 public survey of 1,000 UK adults, we examine how parliamentarians perceive trusts and foundations. Looking into what they value, where they are uncertain, and where the fault lines run.

The picture that emerges is more complicated than a simple positive or negative verdict. There is genuine goodwill towards the sector at Westminster. But there is also significant uncertainty, a striking partisan divide on the question of whether the sector is too political, and a gap between the scale of foundations' contribution to civil society and the recognition they receive for it.