SCIENCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1148691 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The primary goals of the Foundation are to raise funds for major capital projects to develop the museums within the Science Museum Group, along with other projects that support the Foundation's charitable objectives, and to receive donations and hold funds in anticipation of grant requests to enable such projects to be undertaken.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · Get email alerts

Latest income
£1.0m
Latest spending
£3.7m
Registered
2012
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held total funds of £34.8m, comprising £34.1m in restricted funds and £0.7m in unrestricted funds. The charity reported a net expenditure of £1.7m for the year, which was offset by net investment gains of £0.9m. The trustees consider the level of funds appropriate and have confirmed the charity is a going concern with adequate resources to continue in operational existence.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: continue to build up reserves until they can be expended in furtherance of the charitable objectives (held: £665k)
“It is the Foundation’s policy to continue to build up reserves until they can be expended in furtherance of the charitable objectives.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£1.0m
Total spending
£3.7m
Cost of raising funds
£167k
Reserves (reported)
£665k
Employees
0

Reported reserves equal ~2.2 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (98% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 16.6% of total income — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£1.0m£3.7m
31/03/2024£931k£8.4m
31/03/2023£5.9m£1.6m
31/03/2022£295k£60k
31/03/2021£604k£139k

Common questions

Is SCIENCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held total funds of £34.8m, comprising £34.1m in restricted funds and £0.7m in unrestricted funds. The charity reported a net expenditure of £1.7m for the year, which was offset by net investment gains of £0.9m. The trustees consider the level of funds appropriate and have confirmed the charity is a going concern with adequate resources to continue in operational existence. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government31/03/2023£115kSound & Vision
Community Foundation North East24/03/2022£25kA grant to Science Museum Group

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE FOUNDATION FOUNDATION.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
SCIENCE MUSEUM FOUNDATION£1.0m—0unclear—no doubt
THE FOUNDATION FOUNDATION FY2025£173k—0above—no doubt
NML FOUNDATION FY2025£221k—0above—no doubt
ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH FOUNDATION FY2025£492k—0unclear—no doubt
NORFOLK MUSEUMS DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION FY2025£166k—0unclear—no doubt
THE V&A FOUNDATION FY2025£251k—0above—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.