THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION

Registered charity 313024 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION · also registered in Scotland as SC041856 (OSCR)

To advance education in, and to foster and encourage the preservation and better understanding of the material heritage of mankind and the environment for the public benefit by the promotion and development of museums and galleries and encouraging the involvementof the public. To establish and advance professional standards of those employed in museums and galleries.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£2.2m
Latest spending
£2.3m
Registered
1962
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a negative movement in unrestricted funds of £279k before pension actuarial adjustments, driven by a 7% drop in unrestricted income to £1.925m against a 3% rise in expenditure to £1.939m. Despite this deficit, the trustees and auditors confirm the charity has adequate resources to continue as a going concern, with unrestricted reserves of £499k exceeding the stated policy target of £440k.

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

What the accounts disclose

Largest income source: membership
“Our key areas of unrestricted income are: membership £1,016k (2024: £959k), publications £159k (2024: £194k) and events £390k (2024: £343k).”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: three months turnover (held: £499k)
“The board agreed that, in line with Charity Commission guidelines, the MA will at least hold free reserves equivalent to three months turnover. In 2024/25 this equated to £440,000.” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Moore Kingston Smith LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Corporate structure

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

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.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

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

Total income
£2.2m
Total spending
£2.3m
Reserves (reported)
£416k
Employees
21

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: Charitable activities (74% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£2.2m£2.3m
31/03/2024£2.4m£2.9m
31/03/2023£2.9m£2.3m
31/03/2022£2.1m£2.5m
31/03/2021£2.4m£1.7m

Common questions

Is THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a negative movement in unrestricted funds of £279k before pension actuarial adjustments, driven by a 7% drop in unrestricted income to £1.925m against a 3% rise in expenditure to £1.939m. Despite this deficit, the trustees and auditors confirm the charity has adequate resources to continue as a going concern, with unrestricted reserves of £499k exceeding the stated policy target of £440k. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Moore Kingston Smith LLP.

Who funds THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION as a grant recipient include THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST, THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST, JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATION.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUSTFY2025£761kHealth and Wellbeing in Museums Fund
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£733kAdvancement of the arts, culture, heritage or science
JOHN ELLERMAN FOUNDATIONFY2022£25kContribution towards the costs of their “Decolonisation Skills and Confidence-building” programme, alongside Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Art Fund and Paul Hamly

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Community Fund21/02/2006£54kMuseums of the Mind

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 LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM LIMITED.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION£2.2m——above—no doubt
LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM LIMITED FY2025£19.9m——unclear—no doubt
THE GUNNERSBURY MUSEUM AND PARK DEVELOPMENT TRUST FY2025£2.5m£90,000 - £99,9991below—no doubt
KING'S OWN ROYAL BORDER REGIMENT MUSEUM FUND FY2025£218k—0unclear—no doubt
THE SILK HERITAGE TRUST FY2025£635k—0unclear—noted
MK GALLERY FY2025£1.8m£85,000 - £90,0001unclear—no doubt

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