The Authors' Contingency Fund

Analysis

The Authors' Contingency Fund is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in January 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to individuals.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Authors' Contingency Fund reported income of £49k and spending of £105k, spending 215% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £325k to £49k (-85%), an average of -38% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income dropped by 82%. Over the whole period it spent 122% 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 Authors' Contingency Fund sits at the 69th percentile: it is larger than about 69% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 60th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Cassio Productions (£49k), Swansea City Opera & the Opera School Wales (£49k) and Clacton Musical Theatre Society (£49k).

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.