The Traidcraft Foundation

Analysis

The Traidcraft Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. It was registered in October 1986, 40 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to organisations and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Traidcraft Foundation reported income of £3.5m and spending of £3.5m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £3.8m to £3.5m (-9.2%), an average of -2.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 24%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Traidcraft Foundation sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Integrity Action (£3.4m), The Traidcraft Exchange (£3.5m) and Citygate Christian Outreach Centre (£3.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 57% and donations and legacies 43%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £200k. Charitable activities took 79% of spending and raising funds 21%. Reserves of £230k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 49 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.