Stonewall is in financial difficulty

[RoyalCorgi]

Interesting post from Rob Jessel:

https://x.com/robjessel16/status/2008194383301185966

If you can't read it, their return to Companies House shows that last year (ending 31 March 2025) they had a deficit of £906k.

A deficit is for a single year, rather than the overall amount of debt an organisation has (eg you could have a deficit for a single year but still not be in debt).

One startling element is the reduction in reserves. At the end of the previous financial year they had reserves of £998k. At the end of March 2025, that was down to £92k.

That's such a dramatic fall I wonder if I've understood it correctly, so if you have more financial expertise than I do, feel free to correct me.

You can see the Companies House return at: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/02412299/filing-history

But wait!! There is a new attempt at a grift!!

Proud Employers

The leading programme to unlock the power of LGBTQ+ inclusion in your workplace

Why work with Stonewall?

As a leading LGBTQ+ rights charity we have over three decades of experience advocating for inclusion and over twenty years’ experience supporting workplace inclusion.

As a member of the programme, you’ll be part of a network of hundreds of organisations in the UK and around the globe. This means you’ll be able to combine Stonewall’s extensive expertise on LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace with practical ideas from other leading workplaces representing a wide range of sectors and industries.

The programme supports all the key players in your organisation including senior leaders, LGBTQ+ network groups and those working in HR and EDI with a holistic package of benefits that can be tailored to your needs.
Our inclusion experts have a wide range of specialisms equipping them to work with a wide variety of clients across the public, private and third sector in the UK and around the globe. We understand the importance of social and political context and our team are based across the UK so we’re able to be responsive to your work.

Proud Employers | Stonewall

The UK is no longer a leader in LGBTQ+ rights because the government, the public and foreign governments are no longer giving us as much money as they used to. This is not fair. The world is changing for the worst as we can't buy as many new flags and intimidate as many people as we'd like. Therefore we are drawing attention to the bigotry of everyone giving to Cat Charities instead of us by stamping our feet loudly, wailing lots and waiving some old tatty flags outside them in protest. Our rights and freedom to feel persecuted is being undermined by a rise in the number of moggies dumped this Christmas. These Cat Charities have no respect for the LGBTQ+ community and persist in transphobic rhetoric to this day by continuing to call cats 'pussies' and we demand changes to the law to reflect this and ban its use.

Stonewall have done some terrible things, so I cannot say I would be adverse to their demise.

That’s wonderful to hear that you are bucking the trend that is affecting so many in the sector.

2025 has seen the largest number of charities close - ever.

PS I’m not a supporter of stonewall. Just pointing out that it’s shit for charities out there just now and that stonewall are finding it tough isn’t unusual

The pro-women charities and orgs seem to be doing OK.

All those far right American evangelist donations

I’m afraid that it’s pretty much across the
board.

I work in the sector and hear this first hand every day.

also see the reports from NCVO and the Charity Commission on the enormous challenges facing the sector.

again please note Im not pro stonewall. Am GC.

Sad times all round:

UK LGBTQ+ charities are in ‘hostile environment’ amid falling donations, experts warn

Stonewall’s corporate funding halves against backdrop of US attacks on DEI and freezing of aid for LGBTQ+ causes

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/07/uk-lgbtq-charities-are-in-hostile-environment-amid-falling-donations-experts-warn

I agree that it is not just Stonewall as the only charity to have lost income. An organisation that in its early years did a lot of good campaigning and helped to change attitudes (remember clause 28?) has completely lost its way. With all the resources and information available nowadays, companies can support lesbians and gay men and find out the issues they uniquely face without joining Stonewall or any other group.

From the Guardian article, it’s clearly never occurred to them to think whether they are to blame, has it? No, it’s the Big Bad Americans. Except that that’ll be a small part of it, the rest is people baulking at the charities’ behaviour - who wants their corporate logo behind some bloke in a gimp mask and leather straps leering down at a small child at a Pride event?

When even the fox killer turns against you, you know you're done:

‪Jolyon Maugham KC‬ ‪@goodlawproject.org‬
· 1d
The Stonewall story is complicated - it had to retrench, ideologically and financially, to survive. But, having retrenched, what is it now for? 'Fighting' battles already won? Laundering a Government that has no real interest in the dignity of LGBT+ people? Do LGBT+ people benefit from it existing?

‪Jolyon Maugham KC‬ ‪@goodlawproject.org‬
· 1d
I don't say this to throw shade. I say it because I think it speaks to how hard it is, for progressive not for profits, and especially Charities, to have impact sitting outside an Overton window that has moved, and is moving, rapidly to the right.

I cannot say I am really sorry to hear this. There are better organizations for gays and lesbians now. Stonewall made themselves into a fringe movement and a big corporate cost. Corporations do not need their special badges.

A big part of their demise was their non respectful attitude to lesbians. They did nothing about that issue for years.

Lesbians are actual women. They don't count.