The Mental Health Foundation

Analysis

The Mental Health Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in March 1989, 37 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02350846). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Mental Health Foundation reported income of £6.7m and spending of £7.4m, spending 110% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £12.9m to £6.7m (-48%), an average of -15% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income dropped by 31%. Over the whole period it spent 102% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Mental Health Foundation sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% 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 Noah's Ark - the Children's Hospice (£6.7m), Thurrock Community Leisure Limited (£6.7m) and The St Peter and St James Charitable Trust (£6.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 49%, donations and legacies 47%, investments 2.4% and trading 2.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.5m. Charitable activities took 80% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £3.4m would cover about 5 months of spending at that rate. It employed 96 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.