The Elton John AIDS Foundation

Analysis

The Elton John AIDS Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 1993, 33 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives, the prevention or relief of poverty and overseas aid/famine relief, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02787008). It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Elton John AIDS Foundation reported income of £19.5m and spending of £24.2m, spending 124% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £10.0m to £19.5m (+95%), an average of +18% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 199%. Over the whole period it spent 101% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Elton John AIDS Foundation sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Kaleidoscope Project (£19.5m), The Amateur Swimming Association (Swim England) Limited (£19.6m) and Ben - Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund (£19.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 60%, trading 34% and investments 6.3%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £38k. Charitable activities took 80% of spending and raising funds 19%. Grants to other organisations totalled £14.2m. Reserves of £16.4m would cover about 8 months of spending at that rate. It employed 32 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.