Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

THE WOLFSON FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1156077 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The objectives of the Wolfson Foundation are grant-giving. On 4 April 2014, the operational activities and net assets of the Wolfson Foundation (a charitable trust, registered number 206495) passed to the Wolfson Foundation, charity number 1156077 (a charitable company). The accounts for the years ending 5 April 2014 and earlier can be viewed on the charity's website at www.wolfson.org.uk.

Causes: Education/training · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · Religious Activities · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£26.9m
Latest spending
£41.5m
Registered
2014
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the Wolfson Foundation held total net assets of £961.7 million, with all assets held in unrestricted funds. The charity reported a positive return on assets of £52.6 million, driven by investment income and valuation gains, while charitable expenditure totaled £39.0 million. The trustees consider reserves to be at a level that enables them to plan with confidence for the future.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £140,001 - £150,000 — above the median for charities its size (£130k)
“One employee received emoluments between £140,000 and £150,000.” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 5
“One employee received emoluments between £140,000 and £150,000. One employee received emoluments between £90,000 and £100,000. One employee received emoluments between £80,000 and £90,000. Two employees received emoluments between £60,000 and £70,000.” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: at least £50 million in cash and short-dated gilts (held: £961.7m)
“The trustees consider it prudent to have liquid assets within investments to cover a significant proportion of planned expenditure. They have agreed that at least £50 million should be retained in a combination of cash and short-dated gilts.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Payments to trustees: Annual consultancy fees of £48,000 were paid to academic trustees.
“annual consultancy fees of £48,000 (2024: £37,500) were paid to academic trustees in connection with the work they undertook in advising on applications to the Foundation” — page 27
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by UHY Hacker Young LLP. Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Corporate structure

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

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

Total income
£26.9m
Total spending
£41.5m
Cost of raising funds
£2.4m
Reserves (reported)
£961.7m
Employees
12

Per its annual return, largest income source: Investments (100% 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: 9.1% of total income — above the median for charities its size (3.8%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£26.9m£41.5m
31/03/2024£25.8m£46.7m
31/03/2023£23.5m£41.7m
31/03/2022£20.4m£40.5m
31/03/2021£18.8m£38.6m

Common questions

Is THE WOLFSON FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the Wolfson Foundation held total net assets of £961.7 million, with all assets held in unrestricted funds. The charity reported a positive return on assets of £52.6 million, driven by investment income and valuation gains, while charitable expenditure totaled £39.0 million. The trustees consider reserves to be at a level that enables them to plan with confidence for the future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by UHY Hacker Young LLP.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE WOLFSON FOUNDATION earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £140,001 - £150,000 band, and 5 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds THE WOLFSON FOUNDATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE WOLFSON FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL RESTORATION AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST CIO, THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST.WILFRID, GRAPPENHALL, CHELSEA ACADEMY FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL RESTORATION AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST CIOFY2023£100kfor the nave roof restoration and re-covering
THE PAROCHIAL CHURCH COUNCIL OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH OF ST.WILFRID, GRAPPENHALLFY2025£6kGrant received by St Wilfrid's (Note: St Wilfrid's received this grant. It did not make it.)
CHELSEA ACADEMY FOUNDATIONFY2023£5k

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
BENESCO CHARITY LIMITED1£38.6m

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE WOLFSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE WOLFSON FOUNDATION£26.9m£140,001 - £150,0005unclear—no doubt
THE WOLFSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£1.3m£90,001 - £100,0001unclear—no doubt
THE CHARLES WOLFSON CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025£3.5m—0unclear—no doubt
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION FY2025£12.4m—0below—no doubt
The Gerald and Gail Ronson Family Foundation FY2025£660k——below—no doubt
THE CH FOUNDATION (UK) FY2025£119.3m—0unclear—no doubt

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