The Leonardo Trust

Analysis

The Leonardo Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Dorset. It was registered in April 2001, 25 years ago. Its declared purposes cover the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides other finance.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Leonardo Trust reported income of £10.8m and spending of £827k, leaving 92% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £317k to £10.8m (+3305%), an average of +142% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 16291%. Over the whole period it spent 18% 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 Leonardo Trust 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 Rowans Hospice (£10.7m), The Sally Ann Raven Foundation (£10.9m) and Grimsby Youth Zone (£10.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 97% and investments 2.5%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £10.5m. Charitable activities took 96% of spending and raising funds 2.6%. Grants to other organisations totalled £424k. Reserves of £10.8m would cover about 154 months of spending at that rate. It employed 5 people.