The largest UK development charities — and where they get their income
The largest U.K. nonprofits earned £5.8 billion in their latest filing year, a 3.4% dip from their previous filing.
Nonprofits around the world remain in a state of flux as major bilateral donors continue to allocate less to foreign aid. In the United Kingdom, where some of the leading development organizations are headquartered, we have seen revenues fluctuate in the last couple of years. In this edition, we analyzed the latest data to identify the largest U.K. NGOs and assess their financial health — from where they get their income, how much funding they receive from the U.K. government, to whether they are growing. We found 30 charities with incomes of over £50 million in their latest filing year — either 2023, 2024, or 2025. Among them, 29 nonprofits are registered with the Charity Commission, while another one, Mercy Corps Europe, is registered through the Scottish charity regulator OSCR. We adjusted all the figures in this analysis to 2024 constant prices to enable us to make year-on-year comparisons with respect to changes in the inflation rates. The largest charities by revenue Altogether, the 30 NGOs we profiled earned a cumulative income of £5.8 billion ($7.8 billion in current rates) in their latest reporting year. This represents a 3.4% drop from their £6 billion total revenue in their previous filing. This is also around £300 million less, in cash terms, from the £6.1 billion total income of the 28 largest charities that comprised our previous list. One nonprofit from that report fell out of the list: the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, or CAFOD, which had a latest income of £47.9 million. Meanwhile, four organizations made it to the latest ranking after not being included last year: Against Malaria Foundation, Al-Khair Foundation, CAMFED, and Human Appeal. Save the Children International maintained its rank as the overall largest NGO by income, earning nearly £1.3 billion in its latest fiscal year — more than a fifth of the cumulative revenue of the charities we reviewed. The British Council ranked second, with £989.3 million, then Oxfam Great Britain, with £368 million, Sightsavers, with £346.8 million, and Save the Children UK, with £304.8 million. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1760948911208' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='UK charities' total income ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TopU_K_charitiestotalincome/UKcharitiestotalincome/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='TopU_K_charitiestotalincome/UKcharitiestotalincome' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TopU_K_charitiestotalincome/UKcharitiestotalincome/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1760948911208'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='777px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>The largest U.K. charities by latest total income, based on the Charity Commission and OSCR.</i> Where do the top UK charities get their money? Nonprofits report their financial standing to the Charity Commission under five categories: • Donations and legacies, which are revenues from endowment, public contributions, and government funding not earmarked for specific programs • Charitable activities, which are earned revenue from goods and service delivery. This includes grants and contracts from the U.K. government, which are reported separately by the Charity Commission • Other trading activities, such as fundraising events • Investments, which include profit from assets and dividends • All other income sources that do not fall in any of the aforementioned categories Based on our analysis, 57.8% of the total latest income of these nonprofits, worth almost £3.4 billion, came from donations and legacies. This is 8.5% less than their £3.7 billion earnings from this category in their previous fiscal year. For 16 charities, more than half of their total revenue came from donations and legacies. Tearfund, Save the Children International, Amanat Charity Trust, Human Appeal, and Al-Khair Foundation have the highest ratios, with all of them over 95%. Charitable activities ranked next as the primary source of income, with £2.2 billion, 37.3% of the total and 3.8% more than the previous level. Ten nonprofits earned more than half of their total income from charitable activities, with Mercy Corps Europe and The HALO Trust having over 95% of their funding from this category. The remaining income sources accounted for 4.8% of the total: other trading activities, worth £171.7 million; investments, worth £66.4 million; and all other income sources, worth £39.5 million. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1760949457606' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Where do the top U.K. charities get their income? ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TopUKcharitiesbreakdownofincomesources/WheredothetopU_K_charitiesgettheirincome/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='TopUKcharitiesbreakdownofincomesources/WheredothetopU_K_charitiesgettheirincome' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TopUKcharitiesbreakdownofincomesources/WheredothetopU_K_charitiesgettheirincome/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1760949457606'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='777px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>Breakdown of income sources of the top U.K. charities, based on the Charity Commission and OSCR.</i> Who are the biggest winners and losers? The majority of nonprofits we analyzed received less in their latest filing compared to the previous one, with their cumulative drop amounting to £435.8 million. Save the Children International saw the largest loss in monetary terms, worth £189.5 million, down from £1.4 billion to £1.25 billion. The decrease was observed in all income sources, except for investment. ActionAid saw the steepest decline relative to its previous revenue, at 16.7%, or from £65.6 to £54.7 million. Other nonprofits with lower income in their most recent fiscal year included The British Red Cross, Oxfam Great Britain, UNICEF UK, and Malaria Consortium. Meanwhile, 12 charities reported higher income in their latest annual reports, with a combined gain of £229.4 million. The British Council upped its revenue by £93.3 million, from £896.1 million to £989.3 million. Except for other trading activities, the British Council received more from all income sources, with charitable activities alone experiencing a growth of £73.5 million. The Al-Khair Foundation had the highest relative increase — a 90% rise from £32.1 million to £61 million. The other charities with increased revenue were the Against Malaria Foundation, Disasters Emergency Committee, The HALO Trust, and Human Appeal. Revenue from the UK government In total, the top charities received £486.9 million from the U.K. government through grants and contracts, which is 8.4% of their combined latest revenue. This is up 3.9% from the £467.7 million they got from the U.K. government in the previous year. Eleven of these NGOs received more from the U.K. government compared to their previous reporting years, with World Vision UK having the largest increase both in monetary terms and relative to its previous earnings — from £635,804 to £27.6 million. The other charities with the biggest jump in revenue included The British Red Cross, Save the Children UK, and International Medical Corps UK. Meanwhile,10 charities were awarded less funding from the U.K. government. Aga Khan Foundation UK had the largest reduction, both in monetary terms and relative to its previous earnings — from £11.4 million to £588,000. Other charities in this category included the International Rescue Committee UK, International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Sightsavers. Eight other charities did not receive any funding from the U.K. government in the two-year period, while Mercy Corps Europe did not provide a breakdown of income from the U.K. government in its annual report. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1760949995918' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Total revenue from UK government ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TopUKcharitiestotalrevenuefromtheU_K_government/TotalrevenuefromUKgovernment/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='TopUKcharitiestotalrevenuefromtheU_K_government/TotalrevenuefromUKgovernment' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TopUKcharitiestotalrevenuefromtheU_K_government/TotalrevenuefromUKgovernment/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1760949995918'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='727px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>The top U.K. charities’ total income from the U.K. government, based on the Charity Commission.</i> How future-proof are the top UK charities? Overall, the majority of top-earning U.K. foundations saw their balance sheets weaken in their latest financial report. The assets of 22 charities decreased by the end of their most recent fiscal year, with a total loss of £296.3 million. By size, the British Council suffered the biggest drop, worth £78.8 million, or from £412.2 million to £333.4 million. Relief International UK saw the steepest percentage decline, at 70%, or from £2.8 million to £833,976. Just eight charities were left in better financial standing than in their prior reporting year. CAMFED had the biggest monetary increase of £27.3 million, while Human Appeal had the highest increase relative to its previous assets, which almost doubled from £7.6 million to £14.4 million. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1760950288976' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 4 ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TotallatestassetsofthetopU_K_charities/Dashboard4/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='TotallatestassetsofthetopU_K_charities/Dashboard4' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/To/TotallatestassetsofthetopU_K_charities/Dashboard4/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1760950288976'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='727px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>Total latest assets of the top U.K. charities, based on their annual reports.</i> Our methodology In this report, we looked at charities working in overseas aid and famine relief registered with the Charity Commission and OSCR. We found 44 nonprofits with over £50 million in revenues in their latest filing. However, we excluded NGOs that spend the majority of their resources on domestic activities, such as Age UK, the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and The Salvation Army. We also didn’t include non-implementing organizations, such as donor-advised funds and trusts. This included the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, which was included in our previous editions. Lastly, we used the data published by the U.K. Charity Commission on its website, which is based on annual returns, and might therefore slightly differ from the final figures in the organizations’ annual reports. Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free five-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850 sources in addition to our analysis and news content.
Nonprofits around the world remain in a state of flux as major bilateral donors continue to allocate less to foreign aid.
In the United Kingdom, where some of the leading development organizations are headquartered, we have seen revenues fluctuate in the last couple of years.
In this edition, we analyzed the latest data to identify the largest U.K. NGOs and assess their financial health — from where they get their income, how much funding they receive from the U.K. government, to whether they are growing.
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Miguel Tamonan is a Senior Development Analyst at Devex, where he analyzes data from public and private donors to produce content and special reports for Pro and Pro Funding readers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Major in International Relations from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
