The Garden Museum

Analysis

The Garden Museum is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in August 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and amateur sport, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 01413661). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Garden Museum reported income of £4.3m and spending of £4.2m, spending 97% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £2.1m to £4.3m (+104%), an average of +20% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 61%. Over the whole period it spent 94% 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 Garden Museum sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% 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 Grimsthorpe and Drummond Castle Trust Limited (£4.3m), Oakwood School (£4.3m) and The Photographers' Gallery Ltd (£4.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from trading 48%, donations and legacies 32% and charitable activities 18%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £824. Charitable activities took 43% of spending and raising funds 57%. Reserves of £38k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 61 people.