The prominent UK-based LGBT charity Stonewall is experiencing severe financial difficulties, with its unrestricted reserves dwindling to just £91,811 by March 2025, down from £998,173 the previous year. This comes amid a sharp reduction in income from public sector grants, corporate donations, and fees for its diversity programs, leading to a net deficit of £906,362 for the financial year.
Stonewall’s total income dropped from £6.9 million in 2024 to £4.7 million in the most recent reporting period, while expenditures reached £5.6 million. Revenue from its workplace diversity schemes, which certify organizations on LGBT inclusivity, fell from £2.4 million to £1.8 million. Corporate contributions also plummeted from £348,636 to £143,149, and government grants decreased from £618,757 to £454,645.
Critics attribute this decline to growing concerns over the organization’s aggressive advocacy on transgender rights, which has prompted several high-profile entities to withdraw support. To address the shortfall, Stonewall implemented a major restructuring in late 2024 and early 2025, which included reducing staff by 44 positions at a cost of £276,317 in redundancy payments. The organization’s trustees maintain that it has sufficient resources to continue operations and express optimism about rebuilding reserves.
Critics have been vocal about the charity’s situation. John O’Connell of the TaxPayers’ Alliance remarked, “This is a spectacular implosion of a taxpayer-propped woke racket that is finally running out of other people’s money.” Maya Forstater from the women’s rights group Sex Matters added, “Stonewall’s plummeting income from fees reflects the haemorrhaging of confidence in its advice. Being misinformed about the law is worse than useless – it puts businesses at risk of being sued by customers or employees.”
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