The Focolare Trust

Analysis

The Focolare Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hertfordshire. It was registered in December 1979, 47 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. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Focolare Trust reported income of £1.3m and spending of £934k, leaving 26% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £2.3m to £1.3m (-45%), an average of -14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 68%. Over the whole period it spent 80% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Focolare Trust sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 95th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Coutts Charitable Foundation (£1.3m), The Pret Foundation (£1.3m) and Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (£1.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 81%, charitable activities 12% and investments 6.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £143k. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £370k. Reserves of £368k would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 4 people.