“Our mission is to support our beneficiary charities to achieve their purpose”
The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust awards around £2.5m to charities in Scotland every year.
A sense of family and community underpin the origins of the Trust and how we do our business. When we award grants to charities, we take an active interest in them and their activities. We want beneficiary organisations to feel part of our community and we seek ways to bring people together. Our aim is to provide a welcoming environment that is positive, encouraging, and supports charities to achieve their purpose. Please contact us if you’d like to know more.
Our History
The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust was set up by Roderick Stewart Macdonald in November 1978 with funds inherited from his father. R S Macdonald, born in 1922, was the only child of Alexander Muir Macdonald and Lydia Macdonald. Roderick’s grandfather, R J Macdonald, had been one of the founders of the distillery company Macdonald & Muir Ltd, which eventually became Glenmorangie plc. Following his death in 1995, the Trust fell heir to Roderick’s substantial holding in Glenmorangie plc. The Trust’s shares in the company were sold in 2004 and subsequently re-invested with a view to increasing the amount available for distribution to charities. Image: RS Macdonald (right) with his mother Lydia (top right) and other members of the family.
Our Values
Compassionate
We are aware of those that are suffering and we are driven by a desire to do something about that.
Open
We are transparent in our operations, inclusive and have an open door to those who wish to speak with us.
Prudent
We take care in the management, allocation and use of our resources.
Enabling
We are here to help other charitable organisations achieve their aims.
Who We Are
Rachel Campbell
Director
Rachel joined as Director of the Trust in 2018, where she oversees the day-to-day operations. Having over ten years’ experience in grant making, Rachel is committed to supporting charities be the very best they can. Working across all our grant programmes, Rachel guides our staff and our volunteers to provide an approach grant application and management which delivers on our mission, value and strategy.
Rachel’s working life started in banking, after which she has undertaken a number of roles which have focused on business development, governance and funding, in national and local third sector roles and local government.
Rachel has a young family, who in their days off like nothing more than time in the great Scottish outdoors.
Sam Rawlins
Administration and Finance Assistant
Sam joined the Trust in September 2021, having worked in administration roles for over 8 years. Sam is delighted to be returning to the charity sector. Away from work Sam enjoys spending time with her young family.
Katie Winwick
Grants and Relationships Manager
Katie joined the Trust in April 2016 having worked in the charity sector and in an HR role at the University of Edinburgh for a number of years. Katie is delighted to return to grant making having previously been in a similar role at BBC Children in Need after graduating from Edinburgh University with a degree in Religious Studies. Away from work Katie likes to keep fit and healthy, enjoys Bootcamp, running and Geocaching.
Sandra Chilton
Grants and Relationships Manager
Sandra joined the Trust in August 2022 with a background in Scottish higher education and charity fundraising having worked in the philanthropy team at Edinburgh University for 10 years, and prior to that in Trust fundraising for a Scottish based charity. Sandra also spent a number of years in corporate giving and community investment working within the banking sector.
Outside of work, Sandra enjoys being with her family, visiting new places, and volunteering when time allows.
Carol-Ann Hildersley
Grants Administrator
Carol-Ann joined the Trust in October 2024, having worked in administration roles within the architecture industry for many years, most recently 13 years at The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland which is also a registered charity. Away from work Carol-Ann enjoys holidays with family and visiting new places.
James Baird
Chairman
James joined the trustee board in February 2021. He has over 30 years’ experience in audit, having worked as a partner in Deloitte until 2017. James currently Chairs the Audit Committee at Macfarlane Group plc and is also undertaking a PhD at the University of Glasgow Adam Business School.
His charitable interests, as well as this board, include acting as a Council member of Rainforest Trust UK.
Frank Sullivan
Trustee
Frank is an academic General Practitioner, working as the Professor of Primary Care Medicine in The Medical School in the University of St Andrews and Skeith Health Centre, Anstruther. The main focus of his academic work is the application of health data science to study clinical decisions and conduct clinical trials in primary care e.g. in Bell’s Palsy.
With his football days in the past he keeps fit by running, cycling, hill walking and looking after grandchildren.
Stephen Corr, CFA
Trustee
Stephen Corr is a Managing Director in Business Development with Jennison Associates. He is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with clients in the EMEA regions. Stephen joined Jennison in 2024. Previously, he was an investment director for international and global strategies at Baillie Gifford. Prior to that, he held portfolio manager roles at Nikko Asset Management, Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, and Blackrock. Stephen received a BBS in finance from Dublin City University. He holds the INSEAD certificate in corporate governance, as well as the Series 7 license. Stephen is a CFA charterholder. Stephen became a Trustee in 2023, having previously served for 5 years on our Investment Panel.
Fiona Patrick
Trustee
Fiona was born and educated in Edinburgh and graduated with a BA in Commerce in 1985. Fiona went on to have a varied career within the food and drinks industry in the West Midlands and in Scotland, with a brief spell in engineering after graduation. Amongst many highlights she worked within several disciplines including production, laboratory, operations, sales, marketing, hospitality, purchasing, consumer complaints, charities and sponsorship, multimedia and archiving.
Since having a family Fiona has majored more on her interest in people and has been a trustee since 2006.
Robert Ross
Trustee
As a graduate of Glasgow University, Robert qualified as a corporate lawyer in 2001 with Dundas & Wilson in Edinburgh; leaving in 2010 to join Virgin Money as in-house legal counsel (acting as Head of Strategic Projects and latterly as Head of the Corporate and Company Secretariat team. Robert played a leading role in Virgin Money’s acquisition of Northern Rock plc and its subsequent IPO and was also involved in setting up the operating arrangements for the Virgin Money Foundation. Robert joined Brodies LLP as a Legal Director in September 2019.
Away from work, Robert enjoys football, golf and skiing and is involved in coaching children’s football through Aberdour Kids Football Club.
Eric Mitchell
Trustee
A management graduate from Edinburgh University, Eric has extensive experience in the voluntary sector at operational, strategic and national policy level stretching over 25 years. With a strong background in service creation, management and development as well as research and campaigning, Eric is a passionate champion with and for disabled children, young people, adults, their families and carers.
For over 7 years, Eric was Chair of the Board for an innovative and progressive disability charity that provides support and opportunity for adults with learning disabilities and autism. Currently working as an independent consultant to the charity sector, Eric balances this with his café and catering business he created in 2017 that operates from the East Neuk of Fife.
Family, travel, food, people, music and art are what fills up the rest of Eric’s time outwith work and volunteering.