MICROLOAN FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1104287 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · 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.

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

Latest income
£5.6m
Latest spending
£5.1m
Registered
2004
Accounts read
FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that total group funds increased to £2,206,568, with unrestricted reserves of £2,097,295. The charity reports an Operational Self Sufficiency ratio of 108% for its Malawi operation and 101% for Zambia, while Zimbabwe operated at 79% due to drought impacts. The trustees confirm adequate resources for the foreseeable future, with free reserves covering 7.3 months of forecast cash outflows.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: six to nine months forecast cash outflows (held: £2.1m)
“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. At 31 December 2024, the free reserves position was £456,263 equivalent to 7.3 months.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Ultimate parent undertaking
“The company's ultimate parent undertaking and controlling party is WildHearts Foundation Limited, a registered Scottish charity (SC037072) and a company limited by guarantee (SC290665). Copies of its consolidated financial statements are available from Companies House.” — page 81
“Expenses totalling £1,327 (2023: £376) were reimbursed to two (2023: two) trustees during the year.” — page 70
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Trustee expenses
“The company's ultimate parent undertaking and controlling party is WildHearts Foundation Limited, a registered Scottish charity (SC037072) and a company limited by guarantee (SC290665). Copies of its consolidated financial statements are available from Companies House.” — page 81
“Expenses totalling £1,327 (2023: £376) were reimbursed to two (2023: two) trustees during the year.” — page 70
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

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

In the news

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

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

Leadership, per the charity’s website

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).

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income
£5.6m
Total spending
£5.1m
Cost of raising funds
£369k
Reserves (reported)
£456k
Employees
327

Reported reserves equal ~1.1 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 6.6% of total income — above the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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 endIncomeSpending
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
31/12/2020£3.0m£2.8m

Common questions

Is MICROLOAN FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that total group funds increased to £2,206,568, with unrestricted reserves of £2,097,295. The charity reports an Operational Self Sufficiency ratio of 108% for its Malawi operation and 101% for Zambia, while Zimbabwe operated at 79% due to drought impacts. The trustees confirm adequate resources for the foreseeable future, with free reserves covering 7.3 months of forecast cash outflows. Its FY2024 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, ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENT.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE IAN AND CLARE MATTIOLI CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£68k
THE HEADLEY TRUSTFY2024£57kTo train and support women to develop their own businesses in Mumbwa District, Zambia.
HALCROW FOUNDATIONFY2023£57kEconomic empowerment for women, Zambia
BLISS FAMILY CHARITYFY2022£50k
ALLAN AND NESTA FERGUSON CHARITABLE SETTLEMENTFY2023£25k
BLISS FAMILY CHARITYFY2024£17k
BLISS FAMILY CHARITYFY2023£15k
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£10kSocial inclusion
THE SIMMONS AND SIMMONS CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£8kSocial inclusion
ALTOR FOUNDATIONFY2023£6kSmall loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
ALTOR FOUNDATIONFY2024£6kSmall loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5kOverseas Development and Healthcare
ALTOR FOUNDATIONFY2022£5kSmall loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5kOverseas Development and Healthcare
THE HUGH SYMONS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£5kOverseas Development and Healthcare
THE PANTHEON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£5k
THE BEATRICE LAING TRUSTFY2025£5k
ALTOR FOUNDATIONFY2021£3kSmall loans to poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa to start a business
ANSON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£2kCharitable Donation
THE TULA TRUST LIMITEDFY2023£2k
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£1k
THE HASLUCK CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE AUSTIN BAILEY FOUNDATIONFY2023£1kSmall Grant
THE SIR JAMES ROLL CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£1k
KESWICK ENTERPRISES HOLDINGS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£0
HOLLYHOCK CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£0

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund19/02/2007£266kDeveloping sustainable small businesses in Malawi
The National Lottery Community Fund28/07/2006£8kDeveloping 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.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL UNITED KINGDOM.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
MICROLOAN FOUNDATION£5.6m——unclear—no doubt
OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL UNITED KINGDOM FY2025£3.1m——within15.0%no doubt
gold-youth Africa Foundation UK FY2025£304k—0unclear—no doubt
MEMUSI FOUNDATION FY2024£220k—0unclear—no doubt
BALLOON VENTURES FOUNDATION LTD FY2025£2.3m——unclear—no doubt
THE POINT FOUNDATION FY2025£102k—0unclear—no doubt

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