The British Museum Friends
About
To support and assist the British Museum in maintaining and expanding its collections and services to scholars and to the general public.
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
Charity Commission (UK)Leadership at a glance
Official filingsSimilar charities
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
From what GiveRadar has verified so far, The British Museum Friends has a substantially complete profile, cross-referenced across 5 independent sources including the Charity Commission.
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 95% of the 19,540 arts & culture charities in the United Kingdom with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 5 independent sources, led by the Charity Commission - more than 76% of similar organizations. See the sources
- Its integrity score of 86 places it in the top 1% of the 21,809 arts & culture charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
5 years on file from Charity Commission (UK): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
Whether a gift to The British Museum Friends lowers your own taxes depends on where you pay them. Choose your country to see the rule that applies.
UK donations qualify for Gift Aid. THE BRITISH MUSEUM FRIENDS is registered with the Charity Commission. Eligible UK taxpayers can boost their gift by 25% at no extra cost.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM FRIENDS is in United Kingdom, a TGE (Transnational Giving Europe) member country. Dutch donors can route gifts via Stichting Transnational Giving Europe to receive Dutch ANBI-equivalent deductibility, subject to TGE's 5% pass-through fee.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM FRIENDS is registered in United Kingdom. US donors generally cannot deduct gifts to non-US charities directly. To claim a deduction, route the gift through a US 'Friends of' fiscal sponsor or a donor-advised fund that performs equivalency determination (IRS Rev. Proc. 92-94).
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
19 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
No red flags detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Trustpilot
Great exhibitions
Trustpilot
I went here a few weeks ago and couldn't believe it was free and run on donations. There are some of the most incredible treasures of the world in this place and it was pristine clean and gorgeous.
Trustpilot
Do not go here unless you’re willing to be racially and/or religiously profiled and discriminated against. My 6 year old and I had an enjoyable time at the museum l, and whilst making our way to the exit, my daughter wanted to take a picture by some doors which had some beautiful gold, followers detail on it. Upon this, a member of staff stormed over and repeatedly demanded to know why I was ‘taking photos of the doors’. I explained that I wasn’t taking pictures of the doors at all and that I was taking pictures of my daughter. The questioning continued, and he even began to look at the door with suspicion. He wouldn’t answer my question and long story short, it became obvious his concern was that I was doing some form of reconnaissance for a terror attack or one thing. He didn’t ask anyone else despite them doing the same and similar thing as me but the difference is I was the only one that is Muslim - this is obvious because of my Islamic dress code. He then scuttled off in the opposite direction without giving me the opportunity to get his name. My daughter and I walked towards the exit, stopping at the toilets on the way. Upon leaving the toilets, the same member of staff appears and when we make eye contact, he runs up the stairs to avoid me. It then became clear he was following us. I requested to speak with a manager who gave me a less than satisfactory response - that he apologised & would review the CCTV. He also told me the staff go on an equality and diversity course, which I told him is worthless if people have biases and cannot stop themselves from discriminating against people, even at work. I even showed the photos I took of my daughter to prove what I was doing. I then left as even conversing with the manager was a waste of time and I am now considering legal action.
Trustpilot
Wife bought online a timed ticket for the Stonehenge Exhibition.She arrived to find one huge queue for everyone in the street outside the gates - those simply wanting to go into the museum, those wanting to buy tickets for the exhibition and those who already had tickets.It was only once people were inside the gates that they were split into those that had tickets and those that didn't. By then it was long past the time my wife had selected for her visit. She is wondering what was the point of booking in advance.
Trustpilot
Incredibly boring, unorganised, hard to navigate, barely any air conditioning. I enjoyed maybe 2 rooms out of the 15 that I visited. It should be renamed as there’s hardly anything British about it. As a 20 year old female with a passion for learning and exploring, I certainly would not recommend. Unless you like pots, there’s about 30,000 pots.
Trustpilot
What’s happened to The British Museum ????Recent visit was very disappointing, ticket we had booked was not checked despite being lead to believe we needed the ticket to gain entry. Entry to the museum was poorly organised and over filled with people, the museum was poorly organised, number of displays much smaller than we expected. No interesting exhibitions. Considering this is ‘The British Museum’ frankly we have been to much better museums in other parts of the country. Unfortunately it was an uncomfortable boring experience. Shop and cafe poor and seating areas very crowded, no air con anywhere in museum, very uncomfortable and hot. Even exit from the museum was poor as we where unable to leave but had to wait in the heat until other visitors had entered only then where we allowed to exist the gates.
Trustpilot
Terrible signage for pre paid exhibition made me late for show (luxury and power, Persia to Greece), and what a very disappointing exhibition it was! Given rave reviews by the media (did they ply them with champagne in return?!) two tiny rooms with a few objects including a pair of trousers that looked like they’d been made up yesterday out of a modern Welsh blanket?!) the only upside was plenty of steps walked so a great workout, but i really resent paying £15 for such a hugely underwhelming experience
Trustpilot
It was an excellent tour. Helped me understand nuance of civilisations across Europe and how they evolved over period. Particularly liked the displays on MONEY and CLOCKUnforgettable experience
Trustpilot
It's a mess, didn't like at all.
Trustpilot
This is a place where you could spend a whole day – at least.
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar arts & culture charities in United Kingdom.
Cause areas in United Kingdom
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities · 19 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about The British Museum Friends
The British Museum Friends is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in London, England, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 2001 and has been operating for 25 years. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 86/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £7M in annual revenue. 19 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected. The charity has 62 community reviews with an average rating of 2.1/5. On Trustpilot, it has a rating of 2.1/5 based on 64 reviews.
Based on official filings, The British Museum Friends has £7M in annual revenue. It allocates 100% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 77% for arts & culture charities in United Kingdom. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of £814K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
To support and assist the British Museum in maintaining and expanding its collections and services to scholars and to the general public. The British Museum Friends is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 2001.
The British Museum Friends is a charitable company limited by guarantee, the most common incorporated form for UK charities. It is registered with both Companies House and the Charity Commission, and must file annual accounts with both regulators. Directors (who are also charity trustees) have limited liability.
The British Museum Friends's registered charity number is 1086080. You can use it to look up the organization on the Charity Commission register.
The British Museum Friends is located in London, England, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 2001 and has been active for 25 years.
The British Museum Friends is based in London in England. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.
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Quick facts about The British Museum Friends
- What is The British Museum Friends?
- The British Museum Friends is a arts & culture charitable company based in London, United Kingdom. To support and assist the British Museum in maintaining and expanding its collections and services to scholars and to the general public.
- When was The British Museum Friends founded?
- The British Museum Friends was founded in 2001.
- Where is The British Museum Friends located?
- Headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom.
- What is The British Museum Friends's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is £6.9 million. 100% of expenses go to program services.
- Is The British Museum Friends trustworthy?
- The British Museum Friends has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is The British Museum Friends's website?
- http://www.britishmuseum.org/membership.aspx
- Are donations to The British Museum Friends tax-deductible?
- Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.