Read Foundation

Analysis

Read Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Manchester. It was registered in January 2015, 11 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 09195667). It says it provides human resources and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Read Foundation reported income of £12.1m and spending of £10.1m, spending 84% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £5.4m to £12.1m (+125%), an average of +22% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 42%. Over the whole period it spent 83% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Read Foundation sits at the 99th 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 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Fuel Bank Foundation (£11.8m), Premier Christian Media Trust (£12.2m) and North London Cost Shop (£11.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 100%. Charitable activities took 80% of spending and raising funds 19%. Grants to other organisations totalled £6.1m. Reserves of £750k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 59 people.