The Macular Disease Society

Analysis

The Macular Disease Society is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hampshire. It was registered in December 1990, 36 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives and disability, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 02177039). It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Macular Disease Society reported income of £8.9m and spending of £7.6m, spending 86% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2020 to March 2025, income grew from £5.4m to £8.9m (+64%), an average of +13% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2021, when income rose by 44%. Over the whole period it spent 92% of the income it received.

Among 24,651 England and Wales charities whose main cause is health and saving lives and that reported income, The Macular Disease Society sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include North Yorkshire Hospice Care (£8.9m), Diagrama Foundation-Psychosocial Intervention (£8.9m) and The Belu Foundation (£8.9m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 83%, charitable activities 13%, investments 2.6% and trading 1.1%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £4.1m. Charitable activities took 60% of spending and raising funds 40%. Grants to other organisations totalled £1.6m. Reserves of £3.9m would cover about 6 months of spending at that rate. It employed 95 people.