Development Co-operation Profiles

Charity Projects Ltd (Comic Relief)

Introduction

Comic Relief (registered as Charity Projects Ltd) is a UK-based charity founded in 1985. The charity is funded through two biennial crowdfunding appeals – Red Nose Day and Sport Relief – as well as regular donations and partnerships.

With a vision to create a just world free from poverty, Comic Relief supports people and communities in the United Kingdom and internationally across 15 countries. Comic Relief does this by funding and investing in outstanding causes, focusing on the most vulnerable and marginalised affected by society's challenges: helping children survive and thrive; providing safe places to live; supporting gender justice; and promoting positive mental health.

To avoid double counting with official development assistance (ODA) providers and other philanthropic foundations responding to Comic Relief's crowdfunding calls, the OECD data on Comic Relief exclude grantmaking financed from contributions from ODA providers and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Comic Relief.

Due to the limited availability of this foundation's 2022 data, this profile is based on 2021 data reported to the OECD.

Private development finance

The Charity Projects Ltd (Comic Relief) provided USD 24.2 million for development in 2021 through its grantmaking activities. Compared to 2020, this amount represents a decrease of 16.1% in real terms.

 

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Allocations to and through the multilateral system

In 2021, Comic Relief provided USD 3.7 million to the multilateral system, representing 15.4% of its development finance, all of which was earmarked for specific countries, regions, themes or purposes.

Comic Relief channelled its multilateral aid through the United Nations (UN) system and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

 

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The UN system received USD 0.9 million from Comic Relief in 2021, concretely UNCDF (USD 0.6 million) and UNHCR (USD 0.3 million).

 

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See the section on geographic and thematic focus for the geographical and thematic breakdown of bilateral allocations earmarked through the multilateral development system.

Bilateral allocations

In 2021, Comic Relief channelled its contributions mostly through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society (USD 17.5 million), multilateral organisations (USD 3.7 million) and universities, research institutes or think tanks (USD 2.6 million).

 

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Geographic and thematic focus

In 2021, Comic Relief's development finance was primarily focused on Africa and South Asia. USD 18.6 million was allocated to Africa and USD 2.6 million to South Asia, accounting respectively for 76.7% and 10.8% of Comic Relief's development finance. A sum of USD 2.1 million (8.8%) was unspecified by region in 2021.

Bilateral private development finance by recipient country

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In 2021, 77.2% of development finance went to the top 10 recipients. Comic Relief's most significant recipients included Tanzania (USD 3.5 million), Kenya (USD 3.2 million) and Rwanda (USD 2.2 million). Moreover, 11.5% of its development finance was not allocated by country.

 

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Least developed countries (LDCs) received USD 12.1 million (49.8%) of Comic Relief's development finance in 2021. Moreover, Comic Relief allocated 29.9% to lower middle-income countries and 8.8% to upper middle-income countries, noting that USD 2.8 million (11.5%) was unallocated by income group.

 

Note: LDC: least developed country; LIC: low-income country; LMIC: lower middle-income country; UMIC: upper middle-income country; MADCTs: more advanced developing countries and territories.

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Sectors

In 2021, more than half of Comic Relief's development finance was allocated to social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 64.5% of its development finance (USD 11.5 million), with a strong focus on support to health and population (USD 9.2 million) and government and civil society (USD 1.4 million).

 

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Additional resources

Official website: http://www.comicrelief.com/

The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, the Sustainable Development Goal focus of private development finance, channels of delivery, unspecified/unallocated allocations, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.