The British Library Collections Trust
Analysis
The British Library Collections Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in September 2018, 8 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and 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 makes grants to organisations.
In the financial year ending December 2025, The British Library Collections Trust reported income of £1.7m and spending of £182k, leaving 89% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £84k to £1.7m (+1861%), an average of +110% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2025, when income rose by 2849%. Over the whole period it spent 32% 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, The British Library Collections Trust sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The British Institute of Florence (£1.6m), Polish Social and Cultural Association (£1.7m) and The Svetlanov Legacy Charity (£1.6m).
In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 98% and investments 2.1%. Charitable activities took 95% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £172k. Reserves of £2.2m would cover about 139 months of spending at that rate.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Donations 98%
- Investments 2.1%
In the charity's own words
The objects of the Charity are to advance the nation's intellectual heritage and to educate the public through the provision of support and assistance in relation to the development, management, promotion and use of the British Library's Collections and such other exclusively charitable activities of the British Library as the charity trustees in their absolute discretion may determine.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The British Institute of Florence | 9 | £1.6m |
| Polish Social and Cultural Association | London | £1.7m |
| The Svetlanov Legacy Charity | 75008 Paris | £1.6m |
| Frome Cheese & Grain Limited | Frome | £1.7m |