The Ampersand Foundation

Analysis

The Ampersand Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Cleveland. It was registered in May 2016, 10 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 09850522). It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Ampersand Foundation reported income of £724k and spending of £734k, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £432k to £724k (+68%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 820%. Over the whole period it spent 40% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Ampersand Foundation sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Paignton Picture House Trust (£724k), Modern Art Press (£726k) and Forced Entertainment Limited (£724k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 94% and investments 5.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £16k. Charitable activities took 98% of spending and raising funds 1.3%. Grants to other organisations totalled £479k. Reserves of £710k would cover about 12 months of spending at that rate. It employed 2 people.