Whitechapel Gallery

Analysis

Whitechapel Gallery is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Whitechapel. It was registered in February 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it provides buildings/facilities/open space and provides services.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Whitechapel Gallery reported income of £3.5m and spending of £4.5m, spending 128% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £5.1m to £3.5m (-32%), an average of -9.1% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income dropped by 21%. Over the whole period it spent 108% 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, Whitechapel Gallery 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 97th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Booker Prize Foundation (£3.5m), Tyneside Cinema (£3.5m) and Weston Park Foundation (£3.5m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 77%, charitable activities 14% and trading 8.5%. Charitable activities took 79% of spending and raising funds 16%. Reserves of £299k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 82 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.