The Maritime Educational Foundation

Analysis

The Maritime Educational Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 2003, 23 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, which this site groups under education and training. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04251334). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Maritime Educational Foundation reported income of £6.9m and spending of £1.8m, leaving 74% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £2.5m to £6.9m (+180%), an average of +29% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 56%. Over the whole period it spent 27% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, The Maritime Educational Foundation 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 Coleg Ceredigion (£6.9m), Students' Union Royal Holloway University of London (£6.9m) and The Manor Preparatory School Trust (£6.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 94% and investments 5.9%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 1.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £707k. Reserves of £19.3m would cover about 131 months of spending at that rate.