The Foundling Museum

Analysis

The Foundling Museum is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in August 1998, 28 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03621861). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Foundling Museum reported income of £2.0m and spending of £2.3m, spending 114% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £2.2m to £2.0m (-12%), an average of -3.1% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 218%. Over the whole period it spent 70% 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 Foundling Museum sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% 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 National Landscapes Association (£2.0m), Buxton Arts Festival Limited (£2.0m) and Swarthmore Education Centre (£2.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 58%, trading 18%, charitable activities 16% and investments 7.5%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £13k. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 21%. Reserves of £1.2m would cover about 6 months of spending at that rate. It employed 35 people.