Equity Charitable Trust

Analysis

Equity Charitable Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02341733). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending March 2026, Equity Charitable Trust reported income of £590k and spending of £756k, spending 128% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2022 to March 2026, income fell from £732k to £590k (-19%), an average of -5.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 20%. Over the whole period it spent 141% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, Equity Charitable Trust sits at the 89th percentile: it is larger than about 89% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 91st percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Lifelines International Fund for Education (£589k), Otley Road and Undercliffe Community Works (£590k) and Haaya Foundation (£589k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 88% and donations and legacies 12%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £15k. Charitable activities took 91% of spending and raising funds 5.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £50k. Reserves of £12.7m would cover about 194 months of spending at that rate. It employed 2 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.