THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
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Latest income
£95.5m
Latest spending
£144.4m
Registered
1967
Accounts read
FY2025
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that total expenditure for the year exceeded income by £53.9 million, resulting in a decrease in the charity's expendable endowment from £520.2 million to £466.3 million. Per the trustees' report, the charity holds significant liquid assets, including £276.5 million in short-term deposits and £73.9 million in cash, while maintaining unrestricted funds of £466.3 million. The trustees do not consider it necessary to maintain a particular level of income reserves.
What the accounts disclose
Largest income source: Gifts from Settlor (77% of income)
“Gatsby received total income of £95.5 million during the year, including further gifts from the Settlor of £73.1 million.” — page 6
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Donations from Innotech Advisers Limited, a company wholly owned by the Settlor, and of which the Settlor and a Trustee, Mr JC Burns, are Directors.
“Included in this amount are donations of £67,447,000 (2024: £34,343,000) from Innotech Advisers Limited, a company wholly owned by the Settlor, and of which the Settlor and a Trustee, Mr JC Burns, are Directors.”
“Gatsby provides funding to charities in which the following Trustees and/or staff had appointments: Mr JC Burns (JB), Mr P Hesketh (PH) Ms F Perrin (FP), Miss J S Portrait (JP), Ms AL Sainsbury Price (LP). These relationships, grants paid in the year and grants payable at year end are set out below:” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Grants paid to Centre for Cities, Gatsby Africa, Gatsby Technical Education Projects, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, Sainsbury Research Unit for the Arts of Africa, Oceania & the Americas, The Indigo Trust, The Sainsbury Laboratory, and The True Colours Trust, where Trustees and/or staff had appointments.
“Included in this amount are donations of £67,447,000 (2024: £34,343,000) from Innotech Advisers Limited, a company wholly owned by the Settlor, and of which the Settlor and a Trustee, Mr JC Burns, are Directors.”
“Gatsby provides funding to charities in which the following Trustees and/or staff had appointments: Mr JC Burns (JB), Mr P Hesketh (PH) Ms F Perrin (FP), Miss J S Portrait (JP), Ms AL Sainsbury Price (LP). These relationships, grants paid in the year and grants payable at year end are set out below:” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Staff costs met by Gatsby for executive services provided by Mr P Hesketh and Mrs K Everett to Gatsby Africa.
“Included in this amount are donations of £67,447,000 (2024: £34,343,000) from Innotech Advisers Limited, a company wholly owned by the Settlor, and of which the Settlor and a Trustee, Mr JC Burns, are Directors.”
“Gatsby provides funding to charities in which the following Trustees and/or staff had appointments: Mr JC Burns (JB), Mr P Hesketh (PH) Ms F Perrin (FP), Miss J S Portrait (JP), Ms AL Sainsbury Price (LP). These relationships, grants paid in the year and grants payable at year end are set out below:” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Concessionary loan to Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance.
“Included in this amount are donations of £67,447,000 (2024: £34,343,000) from Innotech Advisers Limited, a company wholly owned by the Settlor, and of which the Settlor and a Trustee, Mr JC Burns, are Directors.”
“Gatsby provides funding to charities in which the following Trustees and/or staff had appointments: Mr JC Burns (JB), Mr P Hesketh (PH) Ms F Perrin (FP), Miss J S Portrait (JP), Ms AL Sainsbury Price (LP). These relationships, grants paid in the year and grants payable at year end are set out below:” — page 35
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
In the news
- 'A Better World is Possible: The Gatsby Charitable Foundation and social progress' by Georgina Ferry
What the charity says about itself (2023/24)
The report states that Norfolk Healthy Produce, a spin-out from The Sainsbury Laboratory, sold 13,000 packets of seeds for engineered purple tomatoes within weeks of launch.
“The TSL/John Innes Centre spin-out, Norfolk Healthy Produce, achieved its first sales of engineered purple tomatoes with high anti-oxidants in US supermarkets. There is already considerable consumer enthusiasm for these tomatoes, where 13,000 packets of seeds sold out within weeks of their launch.”
The report notes that the David Sainsbury Gallery at the Science Museum surpassed the millionth visitor mark during the reporting period.
“The Gatsby-run campaign for young people complements the objectives of Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery at the Science Museum. The gallery, which Gatsby continues to support, surpassed the millionth visitor mark this year.”
The report states that Gatsby Trustees approved grants amounting to £95.6 million during the year.
“Trustees approved grants amounting to £95.6 million during the year, and made payments of £115.9 million covering some of these grants, as well as other grants approved in earlier years.”
Leadership, per the charity’s website
- Peter Hesketh — Chief Executive Officer
- David Sainsbury — Settlor
- Nigel Thomas — Executive Director of Education Programmes
- Justin Highstead — Executive Director of Africa Programmes
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 05/04/2025)
Total income
£95.5m
Total spending
£144.4m
Cost of raising funds
£808k
Reserves (reported)
£0
Employees
10
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (16/03/2015)
- Received assets from another charity (27/02/2015)
Trustees
- Francesca Elizabeth Sainsbury PERRIN
- JUDITH SUSAN PORTRAIT
- Joseph Christopher Burns
- LUCY ANYA SAINSBURY
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 05/04/2025 | £95.5m | £144.4m |
| 05/04/2024 | £61.2m | £82.1m |
| 05/04/2023 | £89.7m | £156.4m |
| 05/04/2022 | £142.7m | £82.1m |
| 05/04/2021 | £60.4m | £61.7m |
Common questions
Is THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total expenditure for the year exceeded income by £53.9 million, resulting in a decrease in the charity's expendable endowment from £520.2 million to £466.3 million. Per the trustees' report, the charity holds significant liquid assets, including £276.5 million in short-term deposits and £73.9 million in cash, while maintaining unrestricted funds of £466.3 million. The trustees do not consider it necessary to maintain a particular level of income reserves. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| DEBMAR BENEVOLENT TRUST LIMITED | 1 | £314k |
| BEIS MENACHEM CHABAD LUBAVITCH | 1 | £183k |
| RNH SYNAGOGUE & COLLEGE LTD | 1 | £75k |
| YESHIVAS LUBAVITCH MANCHESTER | 1 | £20k |
| THE ALBERT GUBAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | 1 | £12k |
| DUCHY OF LANCASTER BENEVOLENT FUND | 1 | £5k |
Charities like this
- MW (GK) FOUNDATION
- THE LATIF FOUNDATION
- YAD VEACHISOMOCH L'CHAIM
- THE LATE GWYNETH MON WILLIAMS CHARITABLE TRUST
- THE WYNDHAM CHARITABLE TRUST
- THE REISNER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION LTD
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | £95.5m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| MW (GK) FOUNDATION | £261k | Under £60,000 | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE LATIF FOUNDATION | £207k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| YAD VEACHISOMOCH L'CHAIM | £834k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE LATE GWYNETH MON WILLIAMS CHARITABLE TRUST | £135k | — | 0 | no_policy | — | no doubt |
| THE WYNDHAM CHARITABLE TRUST | £124k | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |