Butterfly Conservation

Analysis

Butterfly Conservation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Wareham. It was registered in March 1968, 58 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 02206468). It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Butterfly Conservation reported income of £6.1m and spending of £6.9m, spending 114% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £4.5m to £6.1m (+35%), an average of +7.8% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 44%. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, Butterfly Conservation sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Thirty Percy Foundation (£6.1m), Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (£6.1m) and Brooklands Museum Trust Limited (£5.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 55%, donations and legacies 38%, investments 5.6% and trading 1.4%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.5m. Charitable activities took 91% of spending and raising funds 6.3%. Grants to other organisations totalled £67k. Reserves of £3,780 would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate. It employed 109 people.