National Art Collections Fund

Analysis

National Art Collections Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in October 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending December 2025, National Art Collections Fund reported income of £18.3m and spending of £20.3m, spending 111% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £17.6m to £18.3m (+3.5%), an average of +0.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 113% 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, National Art Collections Fund sits at the 100th 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 Welsh National Opera Limited (£18.0m), Wellington School 1837 (£18.3m) and Purposeful Ventures (£17.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 52%, donations and legacies 44% and investments 2.0%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £3.2m. Charitable activities took 93% of spending and raising funds 7.2%. Grants to other organisations totalled £7.7m. Reserves of £5.0m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 80 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.