A 66 per cent rise in grants and fees during the year to 31 March 2013 helped Sustrans become the highest new entrant to the Charity 100 Index this year, taking its place in the list of the top 100 charities by income for the first time at number 83.
Sustrans, which promotes sustainable transport, was previously eighth in the Charity 250 Index – which ranks the 101st to 350th biggest charities – meaning it leapfrogged 24 charities to gain its new spot.
The Charity 100 and Charity 250 Indexes rank charities according to the average of their last three years’ income.
Every spring, Charity Finance magazine reviews membership of the Indexes to allow for income fluctuations, new charities and charities for which it had not previously been possible to obtain a three-year run of audited accounts.
Another big riser this year was BBC Children in Need, which jumped from position 24 in the Charity 250 Index to 99 in the Charity 100 Index. Royal Botanic Garden Kew also sneaked back in to the Charity 100 at number 96, having fallen out the year before.
Sustrans, Children in Need and RBG Kew replace the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), the National Trust for Scotland and the Federation of Groundwork Trusts, all of which have dropped out and into the Charity 250 Index.
The DEC reported an 85 per cent drop in income in the year to 31 March 2013 to £6.4m, forcing it out of its ranking of 83rd in the Charity 100. It ran far fewer big appeals during the year and only launched its Syria appeal ten days before its financial year-end.
The biggest riser within the Charity 100 Index this year is the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the charity funded by Chris Hohn’s hedge fund. Following a big fall last year from number 14 to position 95, CIFF rose 29 places this year to settle at 66.
The top trio – namely Nuffield Health, Cancer Research UK and the National Trust – have maintained their top three positions for the tenth successive year.
Subscribers to civilsociety.co.uk can see the full Charity 100 Index constituent review here. The new Charity 250 Index will be published next month.
