Association of Commonwealth Universities

Analysis

Association of Commonwealth Universities is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in March 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending July 2025, Association of Commonwealth Universities reported income of £8.1m and spending of £8.3m, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income fell from £9.9m to £8.1m (-18%), an average of -4.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2024, when income dropped by 30%. Over the whole period it spent 114% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, Association of Commonwealth Universities 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 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Finton House Educational Trust (£8.0m), Talbot Heath School Trust Limited (£8.1m) and St Ronan's School (Hawkhurst) (£8.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 52%, charitable activities 23%, investments 12% and donations and legacies 11%. Charitable activities took 83% of spending and raising funds 2.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £132k. Reserves of £5.4m would cover about 8 months of spending at that rate. It employed 84 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.