Foundations - What Works Centre for Children and Families

Analysis

Foundations - What Works Centre for Children and Families is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in March 2020, 6 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and disability, which this site groups under disability. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 12136703). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Foundations - What Works Centre for Children and Families reported income of £8.9m and spending of £8.9m, spending 100% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £17.8m to £8.9m (-50%), an average of -16% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income dropped by 27%. Over the whole period it spent 99% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Foundations - What Works Centre for Children and Families 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 Esmee Fairbairn Foundation (£8.9m), EveryStory Charity (£9.0m) and The Royal National College for the Blind (£8.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 99% and investments 1.4%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.2m. Reserves of £2.8m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 67 people.