A song written in memory of Liam Payne is being used to continue the former One Direction singer’s charitable giving. His cousin, Ross Harris, wrote Bones after Payne died aged 31 on 16 October 2024 and later built The Bones Fund around the song’s master royalties. The initiative combines those royalties with direct donations and merchandise profits, with the money intended for causes Payne supported during his life. Its inspiration came from a late-night video call in summer 2024, when the cousins browsed online fundraising pages and found children whose fundraising pots needed completing. According to the fund’s website, Payne donated nearly £10,000 to young people that night before his bank began blocking further payments. Harris has since sought to carry that spirit of giving forward through the song and the fund.
How Ross Harris turned Bones into The Bones Fund
Harris wrote Bones with Jordan Round as an outlet for his grief after Payne’s death. The song came out at the end of August 2025, shortly after what would have been Payne’s 32nd birthday. In an Instagram post reported by Rolling Stone on 1 September 2025, Harris described the track as the most personal song he had written and explained that creating it had helped him process his loss. Rolling Stone and the fund’s website say the song’s artwork features a rose drawn by Payne himself. The idea behind the fund drew on the cousins’ earlier FaceTime call. During the conversation, they browsed JustGiving and GoFundMe pages, looking for children whose fundraising pots needed completing. The fund’s website says Payne made donations totalling nearly £10,000 that night. Harris later decided to use the song’s earnings to continue the kind of giving they had done on that call.In late August 2026, a year after the original release, Harris released an acoustic version to formally launch the fund. The fund’s website says royalties from both versions contribute to its pool of money, alongside donations and merchandise proceeds. The website explains that The Bones Project Ltd owns the master rights to Bones, which Harris gifted to the company. Master royalties collected through its distributor, DistroKid, go into the fund.
How streaming, donations and merchandise support the fund
The Bones Fund’s website displays a running counter for streams and estimated royalties. The figures are estimates, with the site explaining that totals are updated as documented streaming figures and royalty payments come in. The website says master royalties from the song are directed to the fund, alongside direct donations and merchandise profits. Supporters can contribute directly through the fund’s website, with payments processed by Stripe. Merchandise offers another source of income, with products including tote bags, mugs, magnets and stickers printed to order. The website gives two descriptions of how merchandise profits are used. One says around 60% to 70% of the profit on each item is donated, while another says every penny of profit goes to charity. These statements differ, and the site does not explain the discrepancy.
Is The Bones Fund a registered charity, and which causes does it support?
The Bones Fund is not currently a registered charity. Its website identifies it as the trading name of The Bones Project Ltd, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. The organisation says it intends to apply to the Charity Commission for charitable status when it is able to do so. A company limited by guarantee has no shareholders and does not pay dividends. The fund says it operates on a non-profit basis, with money intended for the causes it supports. It also says some funds may be used for necessary running costs, including website hosting, marketing and legal expenses.Until it obtains registered charitable status, the company says it cannot offer Gift Aid on donations. Payments processed through Stripe are also subject to processing fees. The fund’s website names UNICEF, Soccer Aid and the Trussell Trust among the organisations connected to Payne’s charitable work. It presents the project as a way to continue supporting causes he worked with, raised money for or donated to during his life and career. The money raised is intended to be distributed to the different causes Payne supported.The website says the fund will report back with as much information as possible about the money raised and where it goes. Payne’s family also asked for donations to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity instead of funeral flowers. In October 2025, the Express & Star reported that almost £250,000 had been raised in his memory, citing a source who said most contributions had been made privately. For Harris, the project links a personal tribute to a practical way of helping others. The song began as an outlet for grief, while the fund draws on a memory of Payne giving money to children whose fundraising campaigns needed support. Through the song, its acoustic version, donations and merchandise, Harris hopes to keep his cousin’s generosity alive.