International Alert

Analysis

International Alert is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in September 1987, 39 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty, overseas aid/famine relief and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02153193). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending December 2025, International Alert reported income of £15.5m and spending of £16.2m, spending 105% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £19.4m to £15.5m (-20%), an average of -5.4% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 30%. Over the whole period it spent 96% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, International Alert 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 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (£15.4m), British Gas Energy Trust (£15.8m) and National Energy Action (£15.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 100%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £7,701. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 1.5%. Reserves of £2.3m would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 161 people.