Stilgoe is also notable for his charitable work and fundraising. In the 1980s he founded the Alchemy Foundation which is funded from his royalties from the American productions of "Starlight Express" and "The Phantom of the Opera". He is patron of the Surrey Care Trust in Woking. In the late 1990s he founded the Orpheus Centre which offers performing arts experiences to young people with disabilities. In 2012, Stilgoe was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his extensive charitable work.