The Charities Aid Foundation

Analysis

The Charities Aid Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in West Malling. It was registered in January 1974, 52 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides services.

In the financial year ending April 2025, The Charities Aid Foundation reported income of £1.39bn and spending of £1.23bn, spending 89% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £1.01bn to £1.39bn (+38%), an average of +8.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2025, when income rose by 16%. Over the whole period it spent 92% of the income it received.

Among 5,976 England and Wales charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Charities Aid Foundation 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 UBS UK Donor-Advised Foundation (£678.8m), National Philanthropic Trust UK Limited (£225.4m) and UK Online Giving Foundation (£166.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 91%, investments 7.2% and charitable activities 1.9%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £65.5m. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £1.14bn. Reserves of £115.2m would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 768 people.