The Onside Foundation

Analysis

The Onside Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Bolton. It was registered in May 2014, 12 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, the advancement of health or saving of lives and disability, which this site groups under health and saving lives. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Onside Foundation reported income of £4.0m and spending of £6.2m, spending 154% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £12.7m to £4.0m (-68%), an average of -25% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income dropped by 74%. Over the whole period it spent 129% 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 Onside Foundation sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% 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 Brookvale (£4.0m), Lia Relief Trust (£4.1m) and Bloomsbury Football Foundation (£4.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 97% and investments 2.8%. Charitable activities took 99% of spending and raising funds 0.0%. Grants to other organisations totalled £6.2m. Reserves of £1.6m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate.