BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY

Registered charity 297716 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as B I T C · also registered in Scotland as SC046226 (OSCR)

Business in the Community is the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. We champion responsible business as essential for long term economic growth and resilience.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£12.9m
Latest spending
£13.9m
Registered
1987
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in total funds of £985k for the year ended 30 June 2025, driven by a lack of equivalent large donations compared to the prior year and reduced membership and advisory income. Per the trustees' report, free unrestricted reserves of £253k are significantly below the policy-required minimum of £2,179k, though the charity maintains a going concern status through cost reductions and strategic partnerships.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £160,001 - £170,000 — above the median for charities its size (£130k)
“£160,000 – £169,999 1”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £253k; policy: minimum level of unrestricted free reserves of £2,179k)
“Currently free reserves are significantly below the level that the policy requires”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: BITC Trading & Advisory Ltd
“The accounts incorporate the results of Business in the Community (BITC) and its subsidiaries (BITC Trading and Advisory Ltd and Scottish Business in the Community [dormant]).” — page 41
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

BITC TRADING & ADVISORY LTD. — per its own Companies House accounts
  • Turnover: £471k
  • Profit before tax: £405k
  • Donated/gift-aided to the charity: £405k
  • Other Debtors include £33,084 (2024: £55,306) due from the parent company, Business in the Community.
“The company’s results for the current year was a profit of £405,118 (2024 - £450,046) which was distributed to the charitable company Business in the Community under gift aid payment; thus reducing retained earnings to £nil (2024 - £nil).”

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.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

3 registered titles in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 30/06/2025)

Total income
£12.9m
Total spending
£13.9m
Reserves (reported)
£254k
Employees
234

Reported reserves equal ~0.2 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (92% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
30/06/2025£12.9m£13.9m
30/06/2024£18.4m£14.0m
30/06/2023£14.0m£15.8m
30/06/2022£14.5m£15.6m
30/06/2021£16.9m£14.8m

Common questions

Is BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net decrease in total funds of £985k for the year ended 30 June 2025, driven by a lack of equivalent large donations compared to the prior year and reduced membership and advisory income. Per the trustees' report, free unrestricted reserves of £253k are significantly below the policy-required minimum of £2,179k, though the charity maintains a going concern status through cost reductions and strategic partnerships. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £160,001 - £170,000 band.

Who funds BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY?

Funders whose own accounts filings name BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY as a grant recipient include THE EARL OF NORTHAMPTON'S CHARITY, THE PWC FOUNDATION, THE T U U T CHARITABLE TRUST, COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE FOUNDATION, EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND (INTERNATIONAL) CHARITABLE TRUST.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE EARL OF NORTHAMPTON'S CHARITYFY2023£50kRelief in need
THE PWC FOUNDATIONFY2025£38ksocial mobility
THE T U U T CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£35kNot specified in the named list, but included in Note 4 total.
THE PWC FOUNDATIONFY2024£33ksocial mobility
THE PWC FOUNDATIONFY2022£30ksocial mobility
THE EARL OF NORTHAMPTON'S CHARITYFY2024£28kRelief in need / Church & Communities
THE T U U T CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£20kNot specified in list, but listed in Note 4
COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE FOUNDATIONFY2023£20kJob coaching programme
EVERSHEDS SUTHERLAND (INTERNATIONAL) CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2022£19k
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£19k
THE PWC FOUNDATIONFY2023£18ksocial inclusion through social mobility
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£11k
COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE FOUNDATIONFY2024£10kVolunteering
THE EARL OF NORTHAMPTON'S CHARITYFY2025£10kOlder People & Housing Programme
THE ALLEN OVERY SHEARMAN STERLING FOUNDATIONFY2025£10k
COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE FOUNDATIONFY2022£9kSkills and Training
COLUMBIA THREADNEEDLE FOUNDATIONFY2021£9kSkills and Training
THE BEAVERBROOKS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2026£5k
MILLS AND REEVE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
FUSION21 FOUNDATIONFY2022£0
THE ANCHOR SOCIETY CIOFY2022£0
King Charles III Charitable FundFY2023—Postcode Lottery grant

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland26/07/2024£14kQ3 2024 Empower Programme
The Mercers' Company01/12/2021£88kGrant to Business in the Community
The National Lottery Community Fund20/08/2021£10kSkills Match
UK government01/04/2021£165kUK Community Renewal Fund
The National Lottery Community Fund17/06/2020£419kNational Business Response Network - Covid 19
UK government01/04/2018£33kFSF Partnership Grant - West Yorkshire (2018)
The National Lottery Community Fund16/03/2015£148kHousing Association Employability Social Impact Bond
The National Lottery Community Fund22/06/2012£188kAiming Higher
The National Lottery Community Fund08/05/2012£4.8mBusiness Connectors
The National Lottery Community Fund25/10/2011£7kEnergy Efficiency at Business in the Community Belfast
The National Lottery Community Fund16/06/2011£10kConfidently Female
The National Lottery Community Fund26/01/2006£139kProHelp Programme
Northern Rock Foundation15/03/2004£45kGrant awarded to Business in the Community (Cumbria)
UK government—£34kFSF Partnership Grant - West Yorkshire (2017)

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 GOOD BUSINESS FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY£12.9m£160,001 - £170,000—below—no doubt
GOOD BUSINESS FOUNDATION FY2025£316k£80,000 - £89,9991unclear—no doubt
BUSINESS EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP (UK) LTD FY2025£1.9m—0below—no doubt
BUSINESS DISABILITY FORUM FY2025£4.4m——above—no doubt
THE PRODUCTIVITY GROUP FY2025£3.0m—12above—no doubt
B LAB (UK) FY2025£11.7m——above—no doubt

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