Welcome to the Charities Aid Foundation

We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

Personal giving From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions. Corporate giving You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals. Services for charities Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient. Insights Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact About us We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work. Donate  
 
 
 

Personal giving

From one-off donations to long-term giving, or designing your personal philanthropic strategy, we work together to help you realise your giving ambitions.

DISCOVER OUR PERSONAL GIVING SOLUTIONS

Corporate giving

You have the vision for making a difference. So do we. We help you plan how to give based on your goals.

DISCOVER OUR CORPORATE GIVING SOLUTIONS

Services for charities

Helping your charity or social enterprise become more resilient.

DISCOVER HOW WE SUPPORT CHARITIES

Insights

Discover the latest insights for donors and charitable organisations to help create a greater impact

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About us

We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

Find out more about CAF
Home About us
Global Alliance

Supporting our global network

We connect our nine global offices, harnessing local knowledge and leading effective global giving.

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Together, we give more


CAF is a group of charitable organisations in the UK and North America operating globally – the Charities Aid Foundation in the UK, Charities Aid Foundation America, Charities Aid Foundation Canada, and our American Donor Fund. These organisations work with corporate and individual donors to ensure their giving is impactful and provide strategic support to help charities.

In the UK, CAF also owns CAF Bank Limited and CAF Financial Solutions Limited (CFSL). They help charities to manage their finances and funds so they can continue to support causes and communities that matter to them.

What we do

If you are a business, or individual looking to increase your impact, we’re here to help you realise your giving ambitions. Whether it’s a one-off donation or longer-term commitment. 

With access to our global network of charities, tax-efficient giving solutions and strategic expertise, you can achieve measurable, positive change for the global causes you care about most. 

We are also a pioneer in the UK social investment sector, and use our insights working with charities to be a centre of excellence for grantmaking.

 

Helping charities and social enterprises thrive is at the heart of everything we do. We understand the challenges you face, and the opportunities that come from being a non-profit – because we’re a charity too.

So, our impact advisory services, social investment and grant funding, and finance solutions are designed to help strengthen your charity’s long-term resilience and enable you to do more of your life-changing work . While our research and policy work empowers us to speak up for our sector with governments, policymakers and regulators.

 

 

Our teams in the UK, US and Canada help hundreds of millions of pounds and dollars move safely across borders every year, supporting thousands of charities.

We engage with an international network of like-minded organisations, enhancing our global impact by sharing regional expertise and ideas. Together, we’re working to foster collaboration and thought-leadership, improve cross-border giving, and make sure that aid can get to where it’s needed most.

This partnership inspires innovation, allows us to share best practice and ensures we hold ourselves and others to the highest standards of regulatory compliance. 

 

 

 

CAF Bank exists to support charities and social enterprises through day-to-day banking, lending and other sustainable financial services. 

As part of the CAF group, our services help you support the people who need you. We’re here to keep your money safe and assist you in finding affordable solutions to enable you to achieve your goals. 

Our commitment to sustainability means charitable clients can access a range of ESG-focused investment funds. For us, it’s a vital step towards creating a fairer, more sustainable future for all.

 

 

 

 

Where our journey began


It started with a £1,000 legacy.

At the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Captain Edward Vivian Dearman Birchall, a passionate philanthropist – wounded, yet still leading his men – wrote this note to a friend:

“If I am scuppered, I’m leaving you £1,000 to do some of the things we talked about.”

Three years later, his legacy was used to set up the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), which is known today as NCVO. In 1924, the NCSS set up a Charities Department to make giving easier – a department that would later become Charities Aid Foundation.

 

View our 100-year timeline

Supporting our clients

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