The British Museum Friends

Analysis

The British Museum Friends is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 2001, 25 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 04133346). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides human resources and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The British Museum Friends reported income of £6.9m and spending of £6.8m, spending 99% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £5.1m to £6.9m (+35%), an average of +7.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 57%. Over the whole period it spent 100% 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 British Museum Friends sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Royal Geographical Society (With the Institute of British Geographers) (£6.9m), Hay Festival Foundation Ltd (£6.9m) and Hull University Students' Union Limited (£6.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 94%, donations and legacies 3.8% and investments 1.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £221k. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.1%. Grants to other organisations totalled £4.9m. Reserves of £1.9m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 17 people.

Data notes from the register: The latest annual return was received after its deadline.