The Sanita Merali Trust

Analysis

The Sanita Merali Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Sheffield. It was registered in September 2008, 18 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives, disability and overseas aid/famine relief, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and sponsors or undertakes research.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Sanita Merali Trust reported income of £1.0m and spending of £310k, leaving 69% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £354k to £1.0m (+187%), an average of +30% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2025, when income rose by 180%. Over the whole period it spent 40% 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 Sanita Merali Trust sits at the 89th percentile: it is larger than about 89% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The London Pathway (£1.0m), Community Action Network (£1.0m) and The SHM Foundation (£1.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 59% and investments 41%. Charitable activities took 51% of spending and raising funds 49%. Grants to other organisations totalled £159k. Reserves of £3.7m would cover about 143 months of spending at that rate.