The British Trust for Ornithology

Analysis

The British Trust for Ornithology is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Thetford. It was registered in March 1964, 62 years ago. Its declared purposes cover environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 00357284). It says it sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The British Trust for Ornithology reported income of £8.7m and spending of £9.0m, spending 104% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £6.2m to £8.7m (+41%), an average of +8.9% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 33%. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, The British Trust for Ornithology 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 Newground Together (£8.6m), Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust (£8.7m) and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Limited (£8.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 53%, donations and legacies 32%, trading 14% and investments 1.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £799k. Charitable activities took 80% of spending and raising funds 19%. Grants to other organisations totalled £3,833. Reserves of £2.7m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 163 people.