The Football Foundation
Analysis
The Football Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 2000, 26 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and disability, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 03876305). It says it makes grants to organisations.
In the financial year ending March 2026, The Football Foundation reported income of £128.2m and spending of £115.3m, spending 90% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from May 2022 to March 2026, income grew from £79.1m to £128.2m (+62%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to May 2023, when income rose by 34%. Over the whole period it spent 98% 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 Football Foundation sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include St Mungo Community Housing Association (£124.0m), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (£129.3m) and International Planned Parenthood Federation (£122.7m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 96% and investments 2.3%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £106.0m. Reserves of £36.1m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 111 people.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Charitable activities 96%
- Investments 2.3%
- Other 1.5%
In the charity's own words
The Charity's current and on-going activities are:to put in place a new generation of modern facilities in parks, local leagues and schools;to provide capital/revenue support to increase participation in grass roots football, andto strenghten the links between football and the community and to harness its potential as a force for good in society.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| St Mungo Community Housing Association | London | £124.0m |
| Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Liverpool | £129.3m |
| International Planned Parenthood Federation | London | £122.7m |
| Age UK | London | £131.8m |