Disasters Emergency Committee

Analysis

Disasters Emergency Committee is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in June 1997, 29 years ago. Its declared purposes cover overseas aid/famine relief, which this site groups under overseas aid and international. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03356526). It says it acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Disasters Emergency Committee reported income of £40.8m and spending of £48.3m, spending 118% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £274.3m to £40.8m (-85%), an average of -38% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income dropped by 85%. Over the whole period it spent 99% of the income it received.

Among 1,223 England and Wales charities whose main cause is overseas aid and international and that reported income, Disasters Emergency Committee sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include International Bible Students Association (£40.6m), The British Council (£1.01bn) and Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain (£38.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 90%, donations and legacies 4.9% and investments 4.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £377k. Charitable activities took 86% of spending and raising funds 14%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.3m. Reserves of £17.0m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 41 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.