The Nesta Trust

Analysis

The Nesta Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in November 2011, 15 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and the prevention or relief of poverty, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations, provides other finance and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Nesta Trust reported income of £17.3m and spending of £35.8m, spending 206% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £10.2m to £17.3m (+70%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2024, when income rose by 39%. Over the whole period it spent 246% 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 Nesta Trust sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% 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 Demelza Hospice Care for Children (£17.3m), Hospiscare (£17.4m) and The Veterans' Foundation (£17.3m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 100%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.5%.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.