The Ethos Foundation

Analysis

The Ethos Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 2016, 10 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. Legally it is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO). It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending September 2025, The Ethos Foundation reported income of £1.1m and spending of £3.5m, spending 323% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2021 to September 2025, income grew from £1000k to £1.1m (+9.1%), an average of +2.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2022, when income rose by 5769%. Over the whole period it spent 22% of the income it received.

Among 5,976 England and Wales charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The Ethos Foundation sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Club Peloton (£1.1m), Camden Carers (£1.1m) and The Good Luck Charitable Trust (£1.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 76% and donations and legacies 24%. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3.1m. Reserves of £58.5m would cover about 198 months of spending at that rate. It employed 2 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.