The Society of St Columban for Foreign Missions
Analysis
The Society of St Columban for Foreign Missions is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Solihull. It was registered in July 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty and overseas aid/famine relief, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides human resources.
In the financial year ending March 2026, The Society of St Columban for Foreign Missions reported income of £4.9m and spending of £3.8m, leaving 24% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income grew from £3.7m to £4.9m (+32%), an average of +7.1% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 48%. Over the whole period it spent 76% of the income it received.
Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Society of St Columban for Foreign Missions sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Cornwall Community Development Limited (£4.9m), Stewards Company Ltd (£4.9m) and Global Greengrants Fund UK (£4.9m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 64% and investments 13%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.4m. Charitable activities took 91% of spending and raising funds 8.6%. Reserves of £9.0m would cover about 29 months of spending at that rate. It employed 19 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 35%
- Legacies 29%
- Charitable activities 0.7%
- Investments 13%
- Other 23%
In the charity's own words
We are a Roman Catholic missionary society which supports Christian communities and works to spread the Christian message at home and abroad. We seek to relieve poverty, promote dialogue and reconciliation between different peoples, attend to the needs of vulnerable groups, counteract the causes and adverse effects of the climate crisis and promote and protect biodiversity.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Cornwall Community Development Limited | Cornwall | £4.9m |
| Stewards Company Ltd | Bath | £4.9m |
| Global Greengrants Fund UK | London | £4.9m |
| The Westminster Foundation | London | £5.0m |