The Benevolent Fund of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Analysis

The Benevolent Fund of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in December 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under poverty relief. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00130981). It says it makes grants to individuals, provides other finance and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Benevolent Fund of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers reported income of £1.7m and spending of £1.1m, leaving 39% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £1.3m to £1.7m (+38%), an average of +8.3% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income rose by 37%. Over the whole period it spent 62% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Benevolent Fund of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers sits at the 96th 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 Secular Clergy Common Fund (£1.7m), Community Initiatives South West Limited (£1.7m) and Hounslow Citizens Advice Bureaux Service (£1.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 77% and donations and legacies 23%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £271k. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 0.7%. Grants to other organisations totalled £2. Reserves of £34.2m would cover about 373 months of spending at that rate. It employed 3 people.