Medical Research Foundation

Analysis

Medical Research Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in September 2010, 16 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 07366816). It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Medical Research Foundation reported income of £3.7m and spending of £11.0m, spending 295% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £3.3m to £3.7m (+13%), an average of +3.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 73%. Over the whole period it spent 188% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, Medical Research Foundation sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% 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 London Sport (£3.7m), Red Rose Recovery Lancashire (£3.8m) and Africa Inland Mission International (£3.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 47%, donations and legacies 35% and charitable activities 18%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £555k. Charitable activities took 87% of spending and raising funds 13%. Grants to other organisations totalled £8.9m. Reserves of £9.7m would cover about 10 months of spending at that rate. It employed 34 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.