How can I download charity data from the Register of Charities?

You can download the full Register of Charities dataset from the Charity Commission for England and Wales by using the "View the dataset" link on the register's datasets page. This is the right route if you are a researcher or want information for all registered charities rather than looking up one organisation at a time. If you only need a smaller slice of records, the main search lets you export up to 10,000 records.

What data is available

The Charity Commission publishes three main types of data on this page:

• The full register dataset – all publicly available data on the Register of Charities, downloadable via "View the dataset".
• Top 10 lists – charities ranked by income, expenditure or other criteria, via the "Go to top 10 list" link.
• Sector data – a graphical representation of data about the charity sector, via "View the sector data".

For individual charities, the register itself shows what the charity does, trustee information, finance information such as income and expenditure, and any actions the Charity Commission has taken against the charity.

Downloading the whole dataset

1. Go to the Register of Charities site and open the datasets section.
2. Select "View the dataset". This gives you the entire register dataset for download, intended for researchers or anyone wanting data across all charities.
3. Use the downloaded file for your own analysis.

This route is best when you need complete coverage. The page does not state a record limit for the full dataset download, so treat the 10,000-record cap as applying to search exports rather than the dataset file.

Exporting a smaller set of records

If you need a targeted subset rather than everything:

1. Use the main search or advanced search to narrow results.
2. Export the results. You can export up to 10,000 records.

This suits a defined project — for example, pulling all charities matching a particular area or type — where a full-register download would be more than you need.

Other ways to get charity data

• Register of merged charities – view charities that have notified the Charity Commission that they merged or transferred their assets to another charity.
• Search by constituency – find charities based on the postcode of their named contact, the parliamentary constituency of the named contact, or the local authority area of the named contact. This helps surface small local charities, but it will not identify all charities operating in an area; for major national, international and key-service charities, use the main advanced search page.
• API – the Charity Commission for England and Wales API lets you retrieve charity information. The data returned is described as live and real-time, and simple to use and understand. There is a Beta API service you can go to.

Choosing between the options

Common points to watch

• The constituency search is based on the named contact's postcode, constituency or local authority area — not necessarily where the charity operates — so it can miss charities active in your area.
• The 10,000-record export limit applies to search exports; plan around it if your result set is larger.
• The page does not state that any of these services are free or require login, so check the relevant link or the online services login before relying on access conditions.