Wise-Aid

Analysis

Wise-Aid is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Berkhamsted. It was registered in March 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty, overseas aid/famine relief and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03409092). It says it provides human resources, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Wise-Aid reported income of £17k and spending of £26k, spending 154% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £16k to £17k (+3.1%), an average of +0.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 52%. Over the whole period it spent 99% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Wise-Aid sits at the 40th percentile: it is larger than about 40% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 41st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Ranmore Charitable Trust (£17k), The Shoebox Fairies (£17k) and Christopher Rous Memorial Cottages (£17k).

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.