The Social Market Foundation

Analysis

The Social Market Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in November 1990, 36 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02537035). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Social Market Foundation reported income of £1.1m and spending of £1.0m, spending 92% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £697k to £1.1m (+62%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 23%. Over the whole period it spent 96% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, The Social Market Foundation sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Guide Association North West England (£1.1m), Ayscoughfee Hall School Limited (£1.1m) and The Henry Jackson Society (£1.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 96% and donations and legacies 4.4%. Charitable activities took 9.0% of spending and raising funds 90%. Reserves of £438k would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 15 people.