The Brain Charity

At The Brain Charity, we are committed to showing our donors how every donation makes a tangible difference to the lives of people with neurological conditions. 

Every single pound and penny we receive contributes directly to The Brain Charity’s mission. 

Where your donations go 

We are committed to ensuring every donation makes the greatest possible impact. Almost 80% of all funds raised go directly towards delivering essential services with another 14.3% going back into our fundraising efforts. Whilst 100% of your donation is spent on The Brain Charity a smaller portion of just 7.3% is allocated to support the operational costs that make this work possible.  

This balance ensures we can provide life-changing support while maintaining a sustainable and effective charity. 

Maximising impact 

For every pound donated, 78p goes directly into providing vital services such as welfare benefit support, counselling, employability coaching, and social activities.  

This funding helps people like Christine, who needed assistance appealing a benefits decision, or Louis, who struggled with his mental health after a diagnosis. 

The remaining 22p (or less) plays a crucial role in making these frontline services possible.  

This includes: 

• A safe and welcoming hub – covering building operation and maintenance costs so we can provide a secure space for our visitors to access support. 

• Securing future funding – ensuring financial stability so we can continue to offer many of our services free of charge. 

• Investing in staff training – equipping our team with up-to-date skills to provide the highest quality care and advice. 

These operational costs are the foundation that allows our core services to function effectively. One cannot exist without the other, and together they ensure the best possible outcomes for the people we support. 

Breaking down our costs 

Based on an expenditure of £1,790,854, we allocated as follows: 

Service delivery expenditure: £1,405,536 

This is a rise of £100,000 allocated directly to our serivices when compared to the previous finicial year, demonstrating our commitment to maximising the effectiveness of every pound donated to us. 

Fundraising expenditure: £256,065 

For every £1 we spend in fundraising, we generate £6.40 in donations back ensuring that your support has a multiplying effect in helping those who need it most. 

Overheads: £129,253 

These overheads include essential operational costs like IT, building maintenance, and governance—ensuring that our charity is stable and sustainable. To put that into clear perspective that means only 7.2% of our total expenditure went into overhead costs. The remaining 92.8% went directly into funding vital services and further fundraising. 

How every donation makes a difference  

Your contributions go further than you might think. Here’s what your donation could achieve: 

Information & Advice Service – practical support 

• £40 could provide 2 hours of welfare benefits support for someone taking their appeal to a tribunal. 

• £281 could fund a full support journey with our Information & Advice team. 

Counselling – emotional support 

• £26 could pay for a counselling session supporting a carer to balance their responsibilities with their own need for self-care. 

• £157 could provide a six-week counselling course for someone struggling with their mental health. 

Social activities – reducing isolation 

• £4 gives someone newly diagnosed the chance to meet others in their situation at a coffee morning. 

• £8 could provide an opportunity to join a friendly gardening session. 

Neuro Gym – physical rehabilitation 

• £4 provides access to a Tai Chi session to help someone regain balance after a stroke. 

• £40 grants a month’s access to our specialist Neuro Gym providing someone with a neurological condition with social, therapeutic and physical support. 

Employability & confidence coaching 

• £250 could fund a day of coaching sessions, helping 10 people build confidence. 

Carers advocacy – supporting families 

• £50 pays for an hour of support for a carer navigating complex systems. 

• £900 funds a complex carer’s case, including representation at medical and legal meetings. 

Brain Changer – therapy for children 

• £372 funds a full term of Brain Changer Arts sessions for a child with a neurological condition. 

• £604 supports a full workshop of physiotherapy through dance for 13 children. 

The power of major donations 

Larger contributions make a massive impact: 

• £1,000 could fund our counselling service for a week, helping ten clients. 

• £2,000 could fund a full day of hospital-based support at the point of diagnosis for seven individuals. 

• £10,000 could fund a week of our Information & Advice service, helping approximately 35 people. 

• £53,000 could fund a full year of free counselling for over 300 individuals. 

• £250,000 supports our Information & Advice Service for six months, helping approximately 882 individuals. 

Cost per service breakdown 

Last year, we provided support to 2,734 clients and remain committed to helping as many individuals as possible in the years ahead. The cost of delivering our key services reflects the level of care and support we provide.

A six-week counselling course costs £157 per client, while social activities amount to £263.93 annually or £5.21 per session. Our Brain Changer programme costs £372 per term per child.

For those accessing Neuro Gym, the annual cost is £462 per client. Our employability confidence coaching course is £477 per participant, and the cost of providing carers advocacy for complex cases stands at £892.

These figures highlight the investment required to ensure individuals receive the tailored support they need.

A sustainable future 

By carefully managing our funds, we ensure that The Brain Charity is able to continue providing sustainable support for individuals with neurological conditions.  

Your donations don’t just provide direct services—they sustain an entire network of support, advocacy, and community that changes lives. 

Your support matters. Every pound helps us make a difference. 

At The Brain Charity, we’re dedicated to creating a world where those with neurological conditions of all kinds are empowered and included. Your donation helps us provide vital support, training, and resources for those who need it most. Learn more about how we work with our funders.

Every contribution makes a difference. Help us champion neurodiversity and build a more inclusive future!