MICROLOAN FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1104287 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q6839628 · Wikipedia · also known as MICRO LOAN FOUNDATION · also registered in Scotland as SC041941 (OSCR)

We are a not-for-profit microfinace institution focussing on sub-saharan africa. Our mission is to significantly reduce the depth and breadth of poverty in the communities within which we operate. We do this by lending money to groups of rural women to help them build sustainable businesses, and by providing meaningful training and ongoing mentoring support.

Objects

THE RELIEF OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIPTHE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATIONTHE RELIEF OF SICKNESS BY THE PROVISION WORLDWIDE OF MICROFINANCE SERVICES

Area of benefit: WORLDWIDE

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Southwark, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£7.6m

Latest spending

£6.6m

Registered

2004

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the group reported an overall increase in funds of £1,162,696, with total funds amounting to £3,369,264 at year-end. The charity maintains free reserves of £414,334, which the trustees consider to be within their target range of six to nine months' forecast cash outflows. The group delivered strong financial performance with net income growing to £1,023,728, supported by significant growth in charitable activity income and favourable exchange rate movements.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six months but are not expected to exceed nine months' forecast cash outflows (reserves figure: £3.2m)

“The Board has agreed that 'free reserves' should exceed a minimum of six months but are not expected to exceed nine months' forecast cash outflows, calculated on an annualised basis.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Parent charity provided interest-free loan

“In the UK, the parent charity's borrowings are limited to a long-term interest-free loan from WildHearts Foundation, its parent charity”

“This included a lump sum grant received from WildHearts Foundation, the parent charity.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Parent charity provided grant

“In the UK, the parent charity's borrowings are limited to a long-term interest-free loan from WildHearts Foundation, its parent charity”

“This included a lump sum grant received from WildHearts Foundation, the parent charity.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Trustees reimbursed for expenses

“In the UK, the parent charity's borrowings are limited to a long-term interest-free loan from WildHearts Foundation, its parent charity”

“This included a lump sum grant received from WildHearts Foundation, the parent charity.”

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints handling
Complaints policy and procedures
Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Paying staff
Risk management
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2025

Volunteers: 12
Employees paid over £60,000: 4 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £140,001–£150,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

Volunteers: 14
Employees paid over £60,000: 3 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

Volunteers: 20
Employees paid over £60,000: 3 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 1)
Has a trading subsidiary

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Microloan Foundation brings award-winning campaign to Westfield campaignlive.co.uk · 07/09/2026
MicroLoan Foundation Malawi: Helping Women Escape Poverty borgenproject.org · 19/04/2025
MicroLoan Foundation's 2025 BBC Radio 4 Appeal promo youtu.be · 12/12/2024
MicroLoan Foundation: Digital Drives Scale bankingfrontiers.com · 22/11/2024
Microloan Foundation accused of granting substantial loan to ex-employee in Malawi malawi24.com · 15/07/2023
Microloan Foundation brings award-winning campaign to Westfield campaignlive.co.uk · 27/02/2012

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 04828558

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — MicroLoan Foundation (matched by registered charity number).

Leadership, per the charity’s website

Medha Wilson — Group Chief Executive Officer (source)
Dr Mick Jackson — Chairman (source)
Mateo Zanetic — Regional Director for Africa (source)
Samson Songore — Chief Executive Officer Zimbabwe (source)
Jack Ngoma — Chief Executive Officer Zambia (source)
Davison Rakasi — Chief Executive Officer Malawi (source)
David McCrossan — Group Chief Financial Officer (source)
Malin Rosenkvist — Director of Fundraising & Communications (source)

Listed on the charity’s own website when we last crawled it; roles may have changed. Pay-band disclosures above are anonymous statutory disclosures and are not attributed to any named individual.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Whole Foods Market Foundation — “Whole Foods Market Foundation, dedicated to poverty alleviation around the world, has partnered with MicroLoan Foundation in Malawi and Zamb…” (source page)
Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation — “In 2023, MicroLoan Malawi also secured a grant from Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation under their Swiss funded Smallholder Safety Net Up-sc…” (source page)
The Halcrow Foundation — “The Foundation has provided MicroLoan with a grant to expand our livelihoods programme in the Kapiri District, Zambia where the grant will e…” (source page)
The Headley Trust — “The Headley Trust, part of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts, partners with MicroLoan in both Malawi and Zambia. They funded MicroLoan …” (source page)

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

MARSHALL, Steven — director, appointed 03/10/2022on trustee list
STOLLIDAY, Stephen Paul — director, appointed 03/10/2022on trustee list
DUNSMUIR, Bernice — director, appointed 01/04/2019on trustee list
JACKSON, Michael Anthony — director, appointed 01/04/2019on trustee list

Official officers record.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income

£7.6m

Total spending

£6.6m

Cost of raising funds

£356k

Reserves (reported)

£414k

Employees

342

Reported reserves equal ~0.8 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 4.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.3%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Received assets from another charity (25/07/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.

Trustees · trustee networks

Michael Anthony Jacksonchair
Bernice Dunsmuir
Stephen Paul Stolliday · trustee of 2 other charities
Steven Marshall

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Australia · Malawi · South Africa · United States · Zambia · Zimbabwe

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2025	£7.6m	£6.6m
31/12/2024	£5.6m	£5.1m
31/12/2023	£6.1m	£5.6m
31/12/2022	£5.3m	£4.8m
31/12/2021	£3.8m	£3.2m

Common questions

Is MICROLOAN FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the group reported an overall increase in funds of £1,162,696, with total funds amounting to £3,369,264 at year-end. The charity maintains free reserves of £414,334, which the trustees consider to be within their target range of six to nine months' forecast cash outflows. The group delivered strong financial performance with net income growing to £1,023,728, supported by significant growth in charitable activity income and favourable exchange rate movements. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

Who funds MICROLOAN FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name MICROLOAN FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE IAN AND CLARE MATTIOLI CHARITABLE TRUST, THE HEADLEY TRUST, HALCROW FOUNDATION, BLISS FAMILY CHARITY, THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE IAN AND CLARE MATTIOLI CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£68k
THE HEADLEY TRUST	FY2024	£57k	To train and support women to develop their own businesses in Mumbwa District, Zambia.
HALCROW FOUNDATION	FY2023	£57k	Economic empowerment for women, Zambia
BLISS FAMILY CHARITY	FY2022	£50k
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£30k	Social inclusion
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT	FY2023	£25k
THE RANDAL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2021	£20k
BLISS FAMILY CHARITY	FY2024	£17k
BLISS FAMILY CHARITY	FY2023	£15k
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	£10k	Social inclusion
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2023	£8k	Social inclusion
ALTOR FOUNDATION	FY2023	£6k	Small loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
ALTOR FOUNDATION	FY2024	£6k	Small loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
THE ANCHOR FOUNDATION	FY2021	£5k
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£5k	Overseas Development and Healthcare
ALTOR FOUNDATION	FY2022	£5k	Small loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k	Overseas Development and Healthcare
THE PANTHEON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£5k
THE BEATRICE LAING TRUST	FY2025	£5k
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£5k	Overseas Development and Healthcare
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2021	£3k	Overseas Development and Healthcare
ALTOR FOUNDATION	FY2021	£3k	Small loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
THE TULA TRUST LIMITED	FY2021	£2k
THE TULA TRUST LIMITED	FY2023	£2k
ANSON CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	£2k	Charitable Donation
THE S M B TRUST	FY2021	£2k	Relief of poverty
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2025	£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2024	Unverified read£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2023	£1k
THE AUSTIN BAILEY FOUNDATION	FY2023	£1k	Small Grant
THE TALRIC CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2026	£1k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	£1k
HALCROW FOUNDATION	FY2025	amount not stated	Economic empowerment for women
KESWICK ENTERPRISES HOLDINGS CHARITABLE TRUST	FY2022	amount not stated
HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	FY2022	amount not stated

Grants marked “Unverified read” were flagged by automated checks as possibly misread from the funder’s filed accounts. They are listed, but left out of the totals, counts and funder relationships this site computes.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
The National Lottery Community Fund	19/02/2007	£266k	Developing sustainable small businesses in Malawi
The National Lottery Community Fund	28/07/2006	£8k	Developing sustainable small businesses in Malawi

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE PWC FOUNDATION	1	£351k
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS' LIVERY CHARITY	1	£225k
FISHMONGERS' COMPANY'S CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£181k
THE BLOOM FOUNDATION	1	£60k
GANDYS FOUNDATION	1	£47k
THE BATCHWORTH TRUST	1	£35k
WALCOT EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION	1	£30k
Wild Life Foundation	1	£30k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with MYMALAWI.

MYMALAWI income £212k
ZALALA FOUNDATION income £104k
RURAL EXTENSION WITH AFRICA'S POOR income £43k
gold-youth Africa Foundation UK income £304k
BEYOND FOOD FOUNDATION income £725k
RIPPLE AFRICA income £2.8m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
MICROLOAN FOUNDATION	£7.6m	—	—	within	—	no doubt
MYMALAWI FY2025	£212k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
ZALALA FOUNDATION FY2025	£104k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
RURAL EXTENSION WITH AFRICA'S POOR FY2026	£43k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
gold-youth Africa Foundation UK FY2025	£304k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
BEYOND FOOD FOUNDATION FY2025	£725k	—	—	below	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.