Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

Analysis

Esmee Fairbairn Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in June 1961, 65 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under disability. It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and provides buildings/facilities/open space.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation reported income of £8.9m and spending of £60.7m, spending 682% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £5.1m to £8.9m (+75%), an average of +15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 42%. Over the whole period it spent 733% of the income it received.

Among 12,871 England and Wales charities whose main cause is disability and that reported income, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. 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 The Royal National College for the Blind (£8.9m), Foundations - What Works Centre for Children and Families (£8.9m) and The Benjamin Foundation (£8.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 94% and charitable activities 5.3%. Charitable activities took 95% of spending and raising funds 5.4%. Grants to other organisations totalled £52.7m. Reserves of £1.34bn would cover about 264 months of spending at that rate. It employed 44 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.