The York Early Music Foundation

Analysis

The York Early Music Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in York. It was registered in February 1998, 28 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03499629). It says it makes grants to organisations and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The York Early Music Foundation reported income of £821k and spending of £850k, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £700k to £821k (+17%), an average of +4.1% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 22%. Over the whole period it spent 103% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The York Early Music 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 93rd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Gorse Hill Studios Creative Community (£819k), Curzon Clevedon Community Centre for the Arts (£823k) and Ripon Museum Trust (£819k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 65%, trading 24% and donations and legacies 9.3%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £5,000. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 10%. Reserves of £148k would cover about 2 months of spending at that rate. It employed 17 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.