The Rufford Foundation

Analysis

The Rufford Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in December 2006, 20 years ago. Its declared purposes cover animals and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under animals. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending April 2025, The Rufford Foundation reported income of £3.9m and spending of £4.4m, spending 112% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £3.3m to £3.9m (+18%), an average of +4.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2022, when income rose by 36%. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.

Among 2,161 England and Wales charities whose main cause is animals and that reported income, The Rufford Foundation sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% 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 The Birmingham Dogs Home (£3.7m), International Animal Rescue (£3.9m) and National Animal Welfare Trust (£3.6m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 100%. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 7.9%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.4m. Reserves of £120.2m would cover about 318 months of spending at that rate. It employed 5 people.