The Retired Ministers' and Widows' Fund
Analysis
The Retired Ministers' and Widows' Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to individuals.
In the financial year ending March 2025, The Retired Ministers' and Widows' Fund reported income of £49k and spending of £33k, leaving 34% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £35k to £49k (+40%), an average of +8.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 70% of the income it received.
Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Retired Ministers' and Widows' Fund sits at the 56th percentile: it is larger than about 56% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 60th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include William Dudley Trust (£49k), South Chard Church (£49k) and Little Acorns (£49k).
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Other 100%
In the charity's own words
To assist necessitious persons who are: (1) Retired ministers or (2) Widows or widowers of ministers or retired ministers of unitarian free churches, congregational, presbyterian, united reform and of the baptist denominations in England and Wales. Grants paid can be either annual and/or one-off grants. They are at the discretion of the trustees following consideration of written applications.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| William Dudley Trust | Birmingham | £49k |
| South Chard Church | Chard | £49k |
| Little Acorns | Rayleigh | £49k |
| The Combined Cutlers Company Charitable Trust | Sheffield | £49k |