Gresham College
Analysis
Gresham College is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in August 1994, 32 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 02953431). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides services and provides advocacy/advice/information.
In the financial year ending July 2025, Gresham College reported income of £2.0m and spending of £1.8m, spending 88% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from July 2021 to July 2025, income grew from £1.5m to £2.0m (+32%), an average of +7.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to July 2023, when income rose by 18%. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.
Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, Gresham College sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Open College Network South East Region Limited (£2.0m), Bright Futures Early Learning (£2.0m) and The Pa Foundation (£2.0m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 75%, donations and legacies 21%, trading 2.5% and investments 1.4%. Charitable activities took 90% of spending and raising funds 7.2%. Reserves of £571k would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 17 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 21%
- Charitable activities 75%
- Trading 2.5%
- Investments 1.4%
In the charity's own words
The College's main activity is the provision and administration of the Gresham Lectures given by the Gresham Professors in a tradition going back more than 400 years. The College also organises seminars and conferences and publishes papers in pursuance of the College's policy of re-interpreting 'the sharing of the new learning for free' which was Sir Thomas Gresham's intent, in contemporary terms.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Open College Network South East Region Limited | Surrey | £2.0m |
| Bright Futures Early Learning | Rossendale | £2.0m |
| The Pa Foundation | London | £2.0m |
| The Jameel Education Foundation UK | London | £2.0m |