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THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST

Registered charity 210037 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q6286680 · Wikipedia · also known as J R C T

We are a grant-making Quaker trust which supports people who address the root causes of conflict and injustice.

Objects

THE INCOME TO BE APPLIED FOR SUCH CHARITABLE PURPOSES OR OBJECTS AND IN SUCH MANNER AS THE TRUSTEES SHALL IN THEIR UNCONTROLLED DISCRETION THINK FIT

Area of benefit: NATIONAL

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

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Religious Activities · Environment/conservation/heritage · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · Other Charitable Purposes · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: York, Yorkshire and The Humber, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income
£2.7m
Latest spending
£19.1m
Registered
1963
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Trust's unrestricted reserves stood at £287.9m, with £44.8m held in liquid form. The filing notes that this level of free reserves is considered reasonable against a budgeted expenditure of £18.3m for 2026. The trustees and auditor confirm that the Trust is likely to remain a going concern for the foreseeable future with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: We aim to maintain a free reserve of cash and cash equivalents sufficient to respond to applications for grants and ensure that the costs of raising funds (excluding fund manager fees, which are met out of our investments), governance and support are covered without becoming a forced seller of equities should there be a downturn in the market. That said, if prudent portfolio management demands it, we are prepared to hold as cash and cash equivalents up to three years of unrestricted expenditure net of income from investments. (reserves figure: £287.8m)
“We aim to maintain a free reserve of cash and cash equivalents sufficient to respond to applications for grants and ensure that the costs of raising funds (excluding fund manager fees, which are met out of our investments), governance and support are covered without becoming a forced seller of equities should there be a downturn in the market. That said, if prudent portfolio management demands it, we are prepared to hold as cash and cash equivalents up to three years of unrestricted expenditure net of income from investments.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grant to Public Interest News Foundation (Jonathan Heawood is Executive Director)
“Jonathan Heawood is Executive Director of Public Interest News Foundation. At the end of 2025, £15,000 remains outstanding on a grant awarded to Public Interest News Foundation in 2023 (2024: £70,000).”
“Avila Kilmurray is employed by Social Change Initiative (NI). During the year grant funding was awarded to Social Change Initiative (NI) of £10,000 (2024: £nil) with £10,000 remaining outstanding at year-end (2024: £nil).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grant to Social Change Initiative (NI) (Avila Kilmurray is employed by)
“Jonathan Heawood is Executive Director of Public Interest News Foundation. At the end of 2025, £15,000 remains outstanding on a grant awarded to Public Interest News Foundation in 2023 (2024: £70,000).”
“Avila Kilmurray is employed by Social Change Initiative (NI). During the year grant funding was awarded to Social Change Initiative (NI) of £10,000 (2024: £nil) with £10,000 remaining outstanding at year-end (2024: £nil).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grant to Migrant Centre (NI) (Avila Kilmurray is undertaking evaluation for)
“Jonathan Heawood is Executive Director of Public Interest News Foundation. At the end of 2025, £15,000 remains outstanding on a grant awarded to Public Interest News Foundation in 2023 (2024: £70,000).”
“Avila Kilmurray is employed by Social Change Initiative (NI). During the year grant funding was awarded to Social Change Initiative (NI) of £10,000 (2024: £nil) with £10,000 remaining outstanding at year-end (2024: £nil).”
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.

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

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 10 (£60,001–£70,000: 2; £70,001–£80,000: 3; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 1; £110,001–£120,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 1)
  • Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit; other trustee benefit
  • Grant-making is its main activity

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

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 9 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 4; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 2; £100,001–£110,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

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

  • Employees paid over £60,000: 9 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £80,001–£90,000: 2; £90,001–£100,000: 3; £120,001–£130,000: 1; £130,001–£140,000: 1; £140,001–£150,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

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).

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

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

Total income
£2.7m
Total spending
£19.1m
Cost of raising funds
£1.9m
Reserves (reported)
£287.8m
Employees
32

Reported reserves equal ~181.2 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.7 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (100% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 70.7% of total income — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median 5.3%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Belgium · Czech Republic · France · Germany · Netherlands · Northern Ireland · Scotland · Switzerland · Throughout England And Wales · United States

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£2.7m£19.1m
31/12/2024£3.5m£19.1m
31/12/2023£2.9m£24.6m
31/12/2022£1.1m£17.1m
31/12/2021£1.9m£15.7m

Common questions

Is THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Trust's unrestricted reserves stood at £287.9m, with £44.8m held in liquid form. The filing notes that this level of free reserves is considered reasonable against a budgeted expenditure of £18.3m for 2026. The trustees and auditor confirm that the Trust is likely to remain a going concern for the foreseeable future with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

Who funds THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST as a grant recipient include Rights and Security International, THE CENTRE FOR AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, HUBBUB FOUNDATION UK.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
Rights and Security InternationalFY2022£67k
THE CENTRE FOR AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURSHIPFY2024£59kClimate Justice Project
HUBBUB FOUNDATION UKFY2021£13kLove Where You Live

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Northern Rock Foundation31/03/2009£3kGrant awarded to Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (National)

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE JG CHARITABLE TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST£2.7m——above—no doubt
THE JG CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£173k—0unclear—no doubt
THE J G GRAVES CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£217k—0unclear—no doubt
JOHN THACKER CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£57k—0unclear—no doubt
THE JULIAN TAYLOR CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£174k—0above—no doubt
THE JEREMY AND JOHN SACHER CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£71k—0unclear—no doubt

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