The British Red Cross
At a glance
Key takeaways
- This funder mainly delivers its international work through grants to partner organisations, with a smaller UK programme on disasters and emergencies, health and care, and displacement and migration, so a group working in those areas, in the UK or overseas, has a plausible fit.
- Its named grants to organisations are large: about 8 in 10 fall between £100,000 and £2,900,000, and the median is £500,000, so a small nonprofit's modest request will likely sit well below its typical grant.
- Grants are made under specific agreements that set conditions, disbursement arrangements and reporting requirements, so a grant seeker should expect to meet those demands.
- The annual report and its website publish no application process, so begin with the contact shown and ask how to proceed before writing a full proposal.
- Nothing published says who should not apply, so check the fit on theme and location first.
Overview
The British Red Cross is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 220949).
The British Red Cross exists to help people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are, and its stated objectives are to assist victims of armed conflict and to improve health, prevent disease and alleviate human suffering in the UK and worldwide. Its annual giving is £77,800,000. Its main mode of delivery for international work is grants to partner organisations, with a lesser share of this giving in the UK. Its UK work focuses on disasters and emergencies, health and care, and displacement and migration.
What they fund
Profile based on the charity's Charity Commission register entry and annual report (year to 31 December 2025) only. Every statement is checked against them. Sources read on 23 October 2026.
Priority Areas
It provides grants to partner organisations as a principal way of delivering its international work, and to a lesser extent in the UK. It manages grants through specific agreements with partners, setting conditions, disbursement arrangements and reporting requirements to monitor spending. Its UK work focuses on disasters and emergencies, health and care, and displacement and migration. Its stated objectives also include assisting victims of armed conflict, improving health, preventing disease and alleviating human suffering in the UK and worldwide. International emergency expenditure supports work with the IFRC and other National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Themes
- Disasters and emergencies
- Health and care
- Displacement and migration
Geographic Focus
Priority: International; UK.
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- Grant partners are subject to specific agreements that set grant conditions, disbursement arrangements and reporting requirements to monitor spend.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
- International
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The British Red Cross.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 33 grants in year to 31 December 2025 by size
Median £500k (year to 31 December 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- IFRC · Movement Core Funding JBC 2021-24£9,000,000year to 31 December 2025
- IFRC · Türkiye - Syria Earthquake Appeal£4,200,000year to 31 December 2025
- IFRC · Myanmar Earthquake Appeal£3,800,000year to 31 December 2025
- IFRC · FCDO Afghanistan SHAPE Programme 2024-2026£2,900,000year to 31 December 2025
- IFRC · Movement Contributions ESTA£2,800,000year to 31 December 2025
- ICRC · Israel and Occupied Palestian Territory Appeal 2023£2,500,000year to 31 December 2025
- IFRC · Ukraine Crisis 2022£1,500,000year to 31 December 2025
- IFRC · Madagascar Preparedness and Resilience£1,500,000year to 31 December 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 with no named recipient; 1 line covering other, unnamed recipients (£1.9M).
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £226,500,000 | £234,700,000 | £37,300,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £439,000,000 | £366,700,000 | £143,000,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £330,600,000 | £322,700,000 | £80,100,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £287,100,000 | £310,300,000 | £82,900,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £293,500,000 | £304,700,000 | £77,800,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 5 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022; year to 31 December 2023; year to 31 December 2024: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- redcross.org.uk · read on 23 October 2026
- redcross.org.uk/about-us/contact-us · read on 23 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile rests on the charity’s filed accounts and register entry only, so check with the funder directly before applying.
Sources last checked on 23 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The British Red Cross?
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Applying to The British Red Cross?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required