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API Documentation

A JSON REST API built on the same Charity Commission dataset that powers this site.

Overview

The Charity Finder API exposes the full UK Charity Commission register and the derived metrics we publish on this site. Responses are JSON, pagination is consistent, and the data model maps closely to the Commission's source extract — so if you know the register, you already know the API.

Access requires an API key. There is no anonymous public tier. Free keys are available for non-commercial use; commercial use requires a paid tier. See Access and pricing below.

Base URL

https://app.charityfinder.co.uk/api/v1

Authentication

Send your API key in the Authorization header on every request:

curl https://app.charityfinder.co.uk/api/v1/charities \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Treat your key like a password. Never put it in client-side JavaScript, browser-bundled code, mobile apps, or public repositories — anyone who sees the key can use your quota and will count against your rate limit.

Common endpoints

  • GET /charities — paginated list with filtering by sector, location, and income band
  • GET /charities/{id} — single charity with financials, trustees, and classifications
  • GET /categories — sector categories with optional counts and aggregate income
  • GET /areas — geographic areas of operation, grouped by type

The full machine-readable schema is published as an OpenAPI 3.1 specification — get in touch if you'd like a copy ahead of the public spec page going live.

Rate limits

Rate limits are tracked per API key. The free tier allows 60 requests per minute; higher throughput is available on paid tiers. Rate-limit status is returned on every response in the X-RateLimit-Remaining and X-RateLimit-Reset headers.

Access and pricing

All access is gated by API key. To request one, email us with a short description of what you're building.

  • Free tier — for non-commercial use (research, journalism, personal projects, charities themselves). 60 requests per minute.
  • Commercial tier — for use in any product, service, or workflow that generates revenue. Higher rate limits, bulk extract endpoints, and a support contact. Pricing depends on volume and use case — get in touch.

Keys are revocable. Reasonable use is expected; obvious abuse (scraping for resale, sustained over-limit traffic, sharing keys publicly) will result in revocation.

Licence and attribution

The underlying register is published by the Charity Commission under the Open Government Licence v3.0. We re-publish under the same licence; attribution is required for downstream use. Read the full attribution guidance in our Data Sources documentation.