Coram

What Coram does

Coram is the UK's first and longest-serving dedicated children's charity, established in 1739 by Thomas Coram as The Foundling Hospital in London and now operating under the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children (charity number 312278, incorporated by Royal Charter). It functions as a federation of twelve wholly-owned specialist subsidiaries delivering services across adoption (Coram Adoption, Coram IAC, Adoption Activity Days, Sibling Time), education (Coram Beanstalk reading support, Coram Life Education, Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation), advocacy (Coram Voice, Bright Spots, Always Heard), legal advice (Coram Children's Legal Centre), creative therapies, family and childcare research (Coram Family and Childcare), and innovation consultancy (Coram-i for local authorities).

Its digital footprint includes the Storyteller App (a child-curated digital repository for children in care, available on iOS and Android), the Coram-i Tracking Tool for adoption agency performance management, and the Coram Innovation Incubator — a co-development partnership with Ernst & Young and Microsoft. In July 2026, Coram acquired Potential Plus UK, extending its remit to children with high learning potential. The group employs approximately 353 staff at its Coram Campus headquarters in Brunswick Square, London, and is led by CEO Dame Carol Homden DBE.

Coram's revenue is generated entirely through a charitable funding model: individual donations (one-off and regular), corporate partnerships (Charity of the Year programmes, payroll giving, sponsorship, pro bono), legacy bequests, Charter Patron patronage, charitable grants (including the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund), local authority commissioning for Coram-i consultancy, professional training fees, and conference centre venue hire at Coram Campus. Beneficiary services are free at point of use. Distribution is direct, through specialist subsidiaries, regional delivery across England and Wales (Adoption Activity Days, Beanstalk reading helpers), commissioned local authority work via Coram-i, and a multi-channel corporate and individual fundraising operation.

Name

Coram

Legal name

Thomas Coram Foundation for Children

Website

https://coram.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1739

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Coram is the UK's first and longest-serving children's charity, founded in 1739 and operating a federation of twelve specialist subsidiaries delivering adoption, education, legal, advocacy, therapy, and consultancy services to vulnerable children, young people, and families across England and Wales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refugee, IDP & Migration Humanitarian Assistance (BPAGAAAH), Asylum & Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Support (BPADAHAB), MHPSS & Trauma-Informed Support for Displaced Populations (BPADAHAJ), Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG)

Keywords

• Children's social services
• Adoption support services
• Family support services
• Children's legal advocacy
• Education and early years

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Coram receives donations from individual supporters through single one-off gifts and regular monthly donations. Single donations are one-off gifts while regular monthly donations allow planning for future work.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partnerships including strategic partnerships, commercial partnerships, Charity of the Year programmes, employee engagement, payroll giving, gift in kind, and event sponsorship.
3. Professional Training and Events: Professional training courses with expert teams and fundraising participation events.
4. Conference Centre Venue Hire: Coram Conference Centre offers meeting rooms and venue hire at Coram Campus.
5. Charter Patrons Programme: Following in the footsteps of founding patrons to demonstrate commitment to helping children and families through regular patronage.
6. Legacies and Bequests: Leaving a gift in Will to support Coram's work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coram is a UK children's charity group delivering adoption services, education programmes (reading support and social-emotional learning), creative therapies (music, art, drama), legal advice, advocacy for children in care and care leavers, and consultancy for local authorities. Services reach hundreds of thousands of children, young people, families, and professionals each year, delivered through wholly-owned specialist subsidiaries and supplemented by digital tools such as the Storyteller App and Tracking Tool.

Product overview

Coram is a charity group of specialist organizations providing services for children, young people, and families. The organization operates as a portfolio of interconnected services rather than a unified software platform. Core services include adoption (Coram Adoption, Coram IAC), educational support (Coram Beanstalk reading support, Coram Life Education), advocacy (Coram Voice with Bright Spots and Always Heard services), legal advice (Coram Children's Legal Centre), creative therapies, and innovation consultancy (Coram-i for local authorities). Digital products include the Storyteller App for children in care and a Tracking Tool for adoption agencies. The organization also runs specialist programmes like the Voices writing competition for care-experienced young people and the Coram Innovation Incubator partnership with Ernst & Young and Microsoft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coram-i: Innovation and insight services for local authorities to improve children's services and outcomes
• Coram Institute for Children
• Coram Voice
• Coram Family and Childcare
• Coram Creative Therapy
• Coram Beanstalk
• Coram Life Education
• Coram Children's Legal Centre
• Storyteller App
• Sibling Time
• Family Harmony Toolkit

Products and services

• Coram Adoption Adoption services that find secure, loving families for children, with creative therapy and ongoing professional support for adoptive families.
• Coram Beanstalk One-to-one reading support service providing reading helpers to help children develop literacy skills and confidence, delivered in schools and early years settings.
• Coram Life Education Social and emotional learning programmes delivered in schools across the UK, helping children develop life skills.
• Coram Children's Legal Centre Provides legal advice and support for families and children on immigration, asylum, and children's rights issues.
• Coram Voice Advocacy organisation for children in care and care leavers, offering the Bright Spots wellbeing programme, Always Heard advice service, and A National Voice.
• Coram-i Consultancy for local authorities providing data-led expertise, diagnostic tools, and embedded working to help improve children's services and outcomes in adoption, fostering, and special guardianship.
• CoramBAAF Provides training, resources, and expert advice for professionals working across adoption, fostering, and kinship care.
• Coram Family and Childcare Research and advocacy organisation publishing the annual Childcare Survey and campaigning for affordable childcare solutions.
• Coram Creative Therapies Multi-disciplinary team offering music therapy, art therapy, dramatherapy, clinical psychology, and family therapy services for children and families.
• Storyteller App Digital repository application where content is collated and curated for, with and by children in care, allowing anyone important to the child to upload images, video and audio clips, plus text messages.
• Tracking Tool Adoption agency management tool providing accurate, up-to-date data on children and prospective adopters with reporting and analysis capabilities for managers.
• Coram Adoption Activity Days Themed events connecting prospective adopters and foster carers with children in a safe, supported environment to find permanence for children who wait longest.
• Always Heard National advice and advocacy service for children and young people in care, providing individual advocacy and support.
• Coram Institute for Children Research and policy centre dedicated to advancing the life chances of children and young people through research, policy work, and Coram International.
• Coram Conference Centre Meeting rooms and venue hire services at Coram Campus, available for corporate and professional events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,500 children found adoptive families through Adoption Activity Days
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Potential Plus UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2026Charity supporting children and young people with high learning potential. Transferring all programmes and services to Coram Group from 20th July 2026, continuing to support thousands of children and families.
• TransformflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 July 2026Transform, a data and tech consultancy, was the headline sponsor of the Voices of Care tenth anniversary event celebrating 10 years of the Voices creative writing competition for care-experienced children and young people.
• MacfarlanesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Leading London-headquartered law firm. Selected Coram as its charity of year for 2025/26. Employees will support through fundraising, hands-on volunteering and pro bono legal assistance.
• SlalomminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology and business transformation. Selected Coram as their Charity of the Year in April 2022. Employees have raised money through cycling events and office events. Coram also benefits from pro-bono initiatives.
• Ernst & Young (EY)coreTechnology or IntegrationErnst & Young is a partner in the Coram Innovation Incubator (CII), bringing expertise, capacity and know-how to generate, test and scale new approaches to challenges in children's services.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft is a partner in the Coram Innovation Incubator (CII), contributing technical expertise and resources to support innovation in children's services.
• After CloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationCoram-i and After Cloud signed a formal collaboration agreement to create a digital repository for children in care that they can access whenever they want.
• University of BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBright Spots programme is a partnership between Coram Voice and the University of Bristol to improve the well-being of children in care by identifying and promoting practices that have a positive influence.
• Department for Work and PensionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Family Harmony Toolkit was developed in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions in response to research highlighting the impact of harmful conflict on children's lives.
• Barrow Hepburn & GaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBritish company known for Red Despatch Boxes. Chosen as Coram charity partner due to shared values within British society. Raises funds through private client donations and projects.
• Cadence InnovaflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline Sponsor of Coram Voice's awards. Has supported Coram for a number of years with fundraising and pro-bono support including sharing employee expertise.
• Club PelotonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCharity and community of people who love to network, ride and fundraise. Supported Coram for a number of years through flagship cycling events. Two thirds of funds raised come to Coram.
• DLA PiperminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal law firm. London office chose Coram for one year partnership as voted by staff. Colleagues plan to support via internal employee fundraising, Coram event participation and provide pro bono legal counsel.
• LinklaterscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading global law firm. Partnered with Coram to support the expansion of the School Exclusion Clinic through funding and pro bono support.
• St Giles HotelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-site hotel chain. Through their 'Hotels with Heart Foundation', St Giles Hotels agreed to support Coram Life Education for 3 years, helping around 12,000 children acquire life skills.
• Very GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK's largest integrated retail and financial services provider. Have supported Coram Beanstalk since 2019, with an aim to raise over £600,000. Colleagues have completed challenges including fire walk and Lego walk.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NSPCC: The UK's largest children's charity, focused on child protection, abuse prevention, and support for children in care. Directly comparable as a UK-wide children's charity competing for the same donor and corporate-partner pool.
• Action for Children: UK national charity working with children and families on fostering, adoption, and family support. Comparable as a direct competitor in the same adoption/fostering commissioning market and family-services fundraising category.
• Barnardo's: One of the UK's largest children's charities providing adoption, fostering, and family support services. Operates a similar portfolio model of regional services and competes with Coram for local authority contracts and donations.
• Family Action: Long-established UK charity delivering family support, mental health, and early-years services. Comparable as a similarly-sized family- and child-focused charity competing for local authority contracts and donor support.
• National Children's Bureau: UK-wide charity focused on improving outcomes for children through policy, research, and practice. Comparable to Coram's research/policy work (Coram Institute) and influence on children's services policy.
• Place2Be: UK children's mental health charity providing in-school counselling and emotional support. Comparable as a specialist children's charity delivering services inside schools, overlapping with Coram Life Education and Coram Creative Therapies.
• Catch22: UK social business delivering children's services, education, and justice services. Comparable as a provider competing for local authority contracts in fostering, family support, and children's services — overlapping with Coram-i's market.
• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting vulnerable young people including care leavers. Comparable as a charity working with care-experienced young people, overlapping with Coram Voice's care-leaver advocacy work.
• The Children's Society: UK charity supporting disadvantaged children through advocacy, direct services, and young-people programmes. Comparable as a like-sized UK children's charity with overlapping services in advocacy, support for children in care, and policy influence.

Broad incumbents

• UNICEF UK: Large established UK children's organisation focused on children's rights and global child welfare. Comparable as a broader, higher-profile children's charity competing for donor attention and policy influence, though operating at significantly larger scale and global scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Coram
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CoramSince1739
• Facebookfacebook.com/Coramsince1739
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coram
• Instagraminstagram.com/coram.uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coram