The J Van Mars Foundation

Analysis

The J Van Mars Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bristol. It was registered in August 2009, 17 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, which this site groups under grant-making and general purposes. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending May 2025, The J Van Mars Foundation reported income of £4.4m and spending of £4.7m, spending 107% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from May 2021 to May 2025, income grew from £1.6m to £4.4m (+180%), an average of +29% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to May 2024, when income rose by 201958%. Over the whole period it spent 109% of the income it received.

Among 5,976 England and Wales charities whose main cause is grant-making and general purposes and that reported income, The J Van Mars Foundation sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Barratt Redrow Foundation (£4.4m), Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse (£4.4m) and Jw3 Trust Limited (£4.4m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 71%. Charitable activities took 100% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £4.7m. Reserves of £60k would cover about 0 months of spending at that rate.