UK Community Foundations

Analysis

UK Community Foundations is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 1991, 35 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02651777). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, UK Community Foundations reported income of £11.3m and spending of £11.4m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £83.3m to £11.3m (-86%), an average of -39% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 92%. Over the whole period it spent 102% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, UK Community Foundations sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Safelives (£10.6m), Steps to Work (£11.4m) and Telles Foundation (£10.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 88%, charitable activities 8.9% and investments 1.6%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £106k. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.9%. Grants to other organisations totalled £9.0m. Reserves of £53k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 18 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.