Illicit finance

The UK’s financial sector helps vast amounts of capital to flow, creating wealth and prosperity. It also enables huge volumes of illicit finance, including the proceeds of crime and corruption, that enables great harm at home and abroad.

• The National Crime Agency estimates that the scale of UK money laundering is “hundreds of billions of pounds“.

We work to tackle the UK’s dirty money problem. We believe this reduces opportunities for international corruption, crime and tax abuse, and strengthens democratic government and the rule of law. For example:

• In 2025 the former Land Minister of Bangladesh was found to own £170m of UK property – the alleged proceeds of corruption which could have been used for public services like schools and hospitals.
• Or consider the harm created by the international crime group, the Prince Group, which made the UK its second home.
• These short videos outline the devastating impact in low income countries.

Solutions have been identified. They include: ending the use of anonymous companies, improving transparency and investigations, strengthening law enforcement, and enhancing ethical practice by the professions:

• The UK Anti Corruption Coalition has published objectives for 2025-29 for their Illicit Finance Working Group.
• This 2024 Economic Crime Manifesto sets out a well evidenced summary of the problem and solutions.

Our role

Achieving these solutions is complex, beyond any single organisation. And we are committed to achieving as much impact as possible. So we work with civil society leaders to strengthen the field as a whole. We help build the long term capacities, organisations and alliances needed for success through four main activities. We:

a) Make aligned grants to organisations that complement each other’s work.
b) Convene civil society to build alliances and shared analysis.
c) Engage donors to build understanding and bring funds into the field.
d) Convene across sectors to accelerate progress on critical issues.

We particularly support the UK Anti Corruption Coalition’s work on illicit finance. We also welcome approaches from new initiatives. We are keen to strengthen wider alliances with others.

We maintain a strategic dialogue with key stakeholders, and convene different groups to develop and advance collective goals. We run regular retreats for civil society. We actively work with new donors to build their engagement with the issues. We convene the highly regarded cross-sector Latimer Network, bringing together senior decision-makers from across government and the private sector.

See examples of our work across these activities in our recent news items.

Please get in touch to discuss any connections with your work.