The Save the Children Fund

Analysis

The Save the Children Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00178159). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Save the Children Fund reported income of £262.5m and spending of £275.8m, spending 105% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £240.4m to £262.5m (+9.2%), an average of +2.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 22%. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Save the Children Fund 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 The Francis Crick Institute Limited (£246.2m), Macmillan Cancer Support (£268.4m) and Islamic Relief Worldwide (£239.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 65%, donations and legacies 30% and trading 3.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £18.9m. Charitable activities took 84% of spending and raising funds 14%. Grants to other organisations totalled £154.1m. Reserves of £44.7m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 885 people.