Finance Score: 4
Governance Score: 0
Support Score: 13
  • Income diversified: +3
  • Spending falling: -1
  • but now stabilising: +1
  • Multiple Deficits: -2
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • All female board: -3
  • Grant maker support: +13
Overall GiG Score: 17 ?

FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

FORWARD was founded to safeguard dignity, advance health and human rights for African girls and women globally.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • Income generation is well diversified
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • The Board is completely female

Financial issues to consider:

  • Spending has fallen significantly over the last 5 years relative to the previous period but has stabilised more recently
  • On several occasions in recent years income has been less than spending
Established: 39 years

www.forwarduk.org.uk

forward@forwarduk.org.uk

02089604000

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramXYouTube
UN SDGs
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Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23£1,082£871£211£8£784£6579198
31/03/22£1,041£818£223£6£573£47771610
31/03/21£825£695£130£4£350£520.91615
31/03/20£595£851£-257£9£220£2223.11810
31/03/19£871£1,197£-325£5£477£2882.9258
31/03/18£1,534£1,394£140£13£802£3843.3280
31/03/17£1,569£1,240£330£10£662£3703.6300
31/03/16£1,271£1,276£-5£11£332£2892.7300
31/03/15£1,015£1,029£-14£15£338£1702250
31/03/14£1,347£1,187£160£11£352£850.9170
31/03/13*£780£776£4£15£192£681140
31/03/12£512£541£-29£13£189£711.6110
31/03/11£499£511£-12£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/10*£425£395£30£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/09£500£449£51£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/08£241£342£-101£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/07£360£343£17£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/06*£305£242£63£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/05£279£261£17£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/04*£229£161£67£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0.8%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0.9%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 11%
Liabilities/Income: 9%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 84%
Reserves/Spending: 9 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 11 months
Quick Ratio: 8.1
Asset Split ?
Listed activities
  • Education/Training
  • General Charitable Purposes
  • Other Charitable Purposes
  • The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Other charitable activities
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
  • Provides services
  • Sponsors or undertakes research
Where it operates
  • Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Throughout England, Uganda,
Who it helps
  • Children/Young People
  • Elderly/Old People
  • People Of A Particular Ethnic Or Racial Origin
Who works here?
  • 19 employees
  • 8 volunteers

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Comic Relief£514,403
DCMS£141,863
Paul Hamlyn Foundation£127,000
Tudor Trust£120,000
Barrow Cadbury Trust£100,000
Esmee Fairbairn£79,000
Lloyds Bank Foundation£52,250
City Bridge Trust£45,527
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Barrow Cadbury Trust - Community leaders pilot project
£100,000 07/09/2023
To provide leadership support, training and networking opportunities to the senior staff in Black and minoritised community led organisation working in criminal justice
Lloyds Bank Foundation - One off gift towards cost of living crisis to Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD)
£2,250 14/12/2022
One off gift to support with the cost of living crisis
Tudor Trust - Grant to FORWARD
£120,000 13/09/2021
36
over three years to support this African women-led organisation's UK-wide training and awareness raising around violence against women and girls, and their work supporting survivors to become ....more
Comic Relief - Strenghtening digital capacity & resilience
£112,470 08/09/2021
6
The COVID-19 pandemic and national lock down in March 2020 forced our organization to transition within a very short time frame, from in-person support services and training to online delivery. Our ....more
Comic Relief - Tackling multiple forms of violence among African Communities in the UK
£201,933 22/06/2021
15
To tackle trauma, vulnerability and abuse of African women and girls by providing early prevention, culturally appropriate community support services and shape professional responses. This will ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to FORWARD
£54,000 24/03/2021
1
Towards unrestricted core costs from the Racialised Communities Top Up Fund
The London Community Foundation - Grant to Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development
£10,000 29/01/2021
5
The funding is to increase our community support services to reach more at risk and vulnerable women by training community champions on support and listening skills to confidently deliver outreach ....more
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Speak Out: For equality, rights and BME young women's leadership
£12,000 18/01/2021
FORWARD is an African women-led, UK-based women’s rights organisation that safeguards women and girls who face multiple disadvantages. This grant will fund the development of Forward’s existing ....more
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Recovery grant to Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD)
£50,000 03/12/2020
24
Unrestricted grant over two years towards the core costs of Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD), awarded under the Foundation's Racial Equity funding stream. Part of the ....more
DCMS - DCMS VSCE CMC Covid Funding
£49,363 03/12/2020
The Community Match Challenge is an £85M fund aimed at supporting the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) in their COVID response. Awards were made to philanthropists, foundations and ....more
Comic Relief - Strengthening Sustainability and Amplifying Impact of FORWARD?s Work
£200,000 10/11/2020
36
FORWARD is requesting £200,000 over three years? for strengthen organisational capacity and long-term sustainability of the organisation. This will include improve organisational systems, ....more
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (FORWARD)
£45,527 11/09/2020
towards the costs outlined in your application of an integrated service supporting the wellbeing of BME young women through counselling, leadership training, mentoring and advocacy, excluding costs ....more
DCMS - Coronavirus Community Support Fund
£92,500 03/07/2020
"The fund aims to:1) To reduce closures of essential charities that provide essential services to vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 crisis by ensuring they have the financial resources to ....more
The London Community Foundation - Grant to Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development ( FORWARD)
£5,523 18/06/2020
The funding is for staff, volunteer and digital services delivery costs to reshape our support and outreach services for BME women in London. Partnering with two BME women’s organisations to ....more
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - COVID19 Emergency Funding
£10,000 14/05/2020
3
Support to aid the organisation in dealing with the challenges posed by COVID19.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Forward
£25,000 05/05/2020
6
towards unrestricted core costs as a COVID-19 Fast Response grant
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Speak Out: For Equality, Rights and BME Young Women's Leadership
£5,000 16/03/2020
FORWARD is an award winning African-led, women’s rights organisation working to combat multiple forms of violence against women and girls. This mini-grant supports the delivery of Speak Out, a ....more
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Speak Out: For Equality, Rights and BME Young Women’s Leadership
£100,000 03/09/2019
24
To employ a Youth Programme lead and expand a BME equality, rights and leadership programme to work with young men as well as young women.
National Lottery Community Fund - Mend the Gap:Tackling multiple forms of abuse in African communities
£497,217 30/01/2019
48
A project to reduce violence against women and girls. Peer support will be offered to and by black and minority ethnic women from migrant communities. Funding will provide skills training to a peer ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Forward
£150,000 14/06/2017
36
Towards the costs of developing a youth leadership and action on gender based violence programme.
Comic Relief - TuWezesha Akina Dada- Africa UK Young Women’s Leadership and Empowerment Movement
£1,198,295 13/05/2016
36
The project addresses the problem of violence against women and girls (VAWG) which continues to be a major violation of human rights globally adversely affect the health, development and progress of ....more
Comic Relief - Phase 2: Moblising Action to Safeguard Rights of Girls and Young Women in Tanzania
£665,558 25/11/2015
36
Gender based violence and gender inequality are endemic in Tanzania. In the project regions prevalence of FGM is also very high (39.9% in Mara and 63.8% in Tarime) and child marriage is a significant ....more
Barrow Cadbury Trust - Leadership Training for Women Affected by FGM
£10,000 13/08/2015
3
To support women and girls affected by FGM to access empowerment training and become health advocates in their own communities.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Forward
£300,000 13/09/2012
Towards core costs plus continued project costs for 'Young People Speak Out' - engaging young people to become advocates to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
National Lottery Community Fund - Hearing Unheard Voices - FORWARD Pilot Para-counselling Course
£10,000 01/12/2011
12
This is a project by a charity in Hammersmith and Fulham. The group will use funding to recruit and train volunteers from female genital mutilation practising communities to act as para-counsellors. ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Forward
£126,946 03/12/2009
36
Towards Project costs Towards the salary of the youth co-ordinator and other project costs to tackle female genital mutilation.
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Forward
£135,000 26/03/2009
36
Towards Core costs Towards the salary of the executive director and overhead costs to support FORWARD in playing a lead role in combating female genital mutilation in the UK.
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (7)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 31-66
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 30/08/1985, number: 292403
  • Registered at Companies House on 11/06/1985, number: 01921508
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Engaging external speakers at charity events policy and procedures
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR13: 3 days late, AR10: 213 days late, AR06: 45 days late, AR04: 1 days late,
Main office

FORWARD
Suite 4.8 Chandelier Building
8 Scrubs Lane
London
NW10 6RB

Objectives

(A) TO PROMOTE GOOD HEALTH AND ADVANCE EDUCATION AMONG WOMEN IN AFRICA. (B) TO RELIEVE POVERTY, DISTRESS AND SUFFERING IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD (INCLUDING DISEASE, SICKNESS AND MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITY, AND WHETHER ARISING FROM ANY PUBLIC CALAMITY OR OTHERWISE.

Defined Area of Benefit:

AFRICA

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase

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