Duke of Lancaster's Foundation

Analysis

Duke of Lancaster's Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in March 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, religious activities, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under religion. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Duke of Lancaster's Foundation reported income of £2.3m and spending of £400k, leaving 82% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £468k to £2.3m (+382%), an average of +48% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 235%. Over the whole period it spent 46% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, Duke of Lancaster's Foundation 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 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Dolphin School Trust (£2.2m), The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Luke Edgbaston Birmingham (£2.3m) and The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Woking Christ Church (£2.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 93% and investments 6.9%. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 6.6%. Grants to other organisations totalled £351k. Reserves of £3.4m would cover about 97 months of spending at that rate.