The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund

Analysis

The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in June 2000, 26 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, disability, the prevention or relief of poverty and accommodation/housing, which this site groups under disability. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund reported income of £27.7m and spending of £22.2m, spending 80% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £25.5m to £27.7m (+8.5%), an average of +2.1% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 28%. Over the whole period it spent 96% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, The Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund 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 Worth Abbey (£27.1m), Mental Health Matters (£28.2m) and Skills for Care Ltd (£26.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 76%, investments 10%, charitable activities 4.6% and trading 1.3%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £14.0m. Charitable activities took 75% of spending and raising funds 25%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.1m. Reserves of £123.0m would cover about 66 months of spending at that rate. It employed 132 people.