Access - the Foundation for Social Investment
Analysis
Access - the Foundation for Social Investment is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in December 2014, 12 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 09153909). It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides advocacy/advice/information.
In the financial year ending December 2025, Access - the Foundation for Social Investment reported income of £12.5m and spending of £17.8m, spending 142% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £7.4m to £12.5m (+69%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 252%. Over the whole period it spent 159% of the income it received.
Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, Access - the Foundation for Social Investment sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Steps to Work (£11.4m), Giving What We Can UK (£12.6m) and UK Community Foundations (£11.3m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 90% and investments 9.5%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.2%. Reserves of £9.4m would cover about 6 months of spending at that rate. It employed 13 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.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Charitable activities 90%
- Investments 9.5%
- Other 0.2%
In the charity's own words
Access aims to bridge the gap in the social investment market so that suitable finance and support is available to social enterprises and charities which are new to social investment. Access will be a wholesale provider, working with and through existing market players to deliver its programmes. This enables Access to take a strategic view of the needs of social ventures over the next decade.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| Steps to Work | Birmingham | £11.4m |
| Giving What We Can UK | London | £12.6m |
| UK Community Foundations | London | £11.3m |
| The Institute for Fiscal Studies | London | £13.1m |