100 years of giving

Our history

The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) traces its roots back to 1924, when it was established as the Charities Departments by the National Council of Social Service (now the NCVO).

Building on a generous £1,000 legacy from Captain Edward Vivian Dearman Birchall following his death in the First World War, the Department was set up to facilitate Deeds of Covenant. These were legal agreements from donors to pay a specific annual sum of money to the charities of their choice, which enabled tax-effective giving for both the donors and charities. During our first three years, we helped recover just under £40,000 for these charities, equivalent to £2 million today.

Over the century that followed, we became an independent charity as our role in the giving world evolved and grew. But our purpose remained the same – to work together, to help civil society thrive for the benefit of all.

Together, we give more.

Our formative years (1924 to 1974)

Captain Edward Vivian Dearman Birchall was wounded leading his men in 1916 at the battle of Pozières Ridge in the Somme. As a passionate philanthropist, before his death, Captain Birchall wrote a note to his friend, S. P. Grundy, that read...

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

Independent UK charity (1974 to 1992)

Growth and international expansion (1992 to 2008)

Credit crisis and austerity (2007 to 2021)