The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust

Analysis

The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in York. It was registered in February 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, religious activities, environment/conservation/heritage and human rights/religious or racial harmony/equality or diversity, which this site groups under religion. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust reported income of £2.7m and spending of £19.1m, spending 705% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.9m to £2.7m (+44%), an average of +9.6% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 180%. Over the whole period it spent 791% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Child Light Limited (£2.7m), The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers (£2.7m) and The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Christchurch Holy Trinity (£2.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 100%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1,000. Charitable activities took 88% of spending and raising funds 9.9%. Grants to other organisations totalled £13.4m. Reserves of £287.8m would cover about 178 months of spending at that rate. It employed 32 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.