British Association of Friends of Museums

Analysis

British Association of Friends of Museums is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in December 2014, 12 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it provides advocacy/advice/information and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending January 2026, British Association of Friends of Museums reported income of £68k and spending of £78k, spending 115% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from January 2022 to January 2026, income grew from £56k to £68k (+21%), an average of +4.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to January 2023, when income rose by 37%. Over the whole period it spent 101% 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, British Association of Friends of Museums sits at the 74th percentile: it is larger than about 74% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 65th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include East Sussex Federation of Women's Institutes (£68k), The Arah Foundation (£68k) and Orchestra for the Earth (£68k).

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.