The Dementia Trust

What The Dementia Trust does

The Dementia Trust is a Scottish-registered charitable foundation (Charity Registration No: SCO 16905) founded in 1984 and headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, operating with a small team of approximately 5 employees. Originally established as the Dementia Services Development Trust (DSDT), it has operated for nearly 40 years under a mission to improve the lives of people living with dementia and their carers, evolving from research and teaching into policy influence, building design (notably the Iris Murdoch Building at the University of Stirling — the first dementia-friendly public building), and the funding of innovative care projects.

The Trust's core offerings are two grant programmes: the Disruption Awards (grants up to £15,000 for bold ideas developed alongside people with dementia) and the Impact Accelerator Awards (grants up to £45,000 for evidence-based research, launched in 2026 with matched funding from Dementia Research UK). It also runs the Planning Ahead campaign, a national Power of Attorney awareness initiative in Scotland partnered with Edinburgh law firms, and operates knowledge initiatives including the Iris think pieces series and the Dementia Festival of Ideas. Beneficiaries include people with dementia and their carers, researchers, artists, innovators, and legal professionals.

The Trust is funded through individual donations, corporate giving, community fundraising events (notably Kiltwalk), grants from charitable foundations and government bodies (Atlantic Philanthropies, Robert Bosch Foundation, Robertson Trust, Scottish Government, Welsh Government), and a distinctive revenue mechanism where partner law firms donate 10% of Power of Attorney income to the Trust. It is governed by a Board of Trustees led by Chair Dylan Harper, with Sandra McDonald serving as Chair Emeritus and Founding Fellow. The Trust maintains an international footprint through partnerships in India (DEMCARES in Chennai) and South Africa (Bessie Makatini Foundation), among others.

Name

The Dementia Trust

Legal name

Dementia Services Development Trust

Website

https://dementiatrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Dementia Trust is a Scottish-registered charitable foundation founded in 1984 that funds innovative dementia care projects through grant programmes (Disruption Awards up to £15,000 and Impact Accelerator Awards up to £45,000), serving people with dementia, their carers, researchers, and innovators across the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation - Dementia Care

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

akta.pro primary industry

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dementia Care Coordination & Care Planning (HSABAEAJ), Alzheimer’s & Dementia-Specific Adult Day Programs (HLADAIAC)

Keywords

• Dementia care funding
• Charitable grant programs
• Dementia research grants
• Nonprofit foundation
• Community dementia services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The Trust generates revenue through individual donations, corporate donations, and community fundraising events such as Kiltwalk. They receive support from various organizations including Sainsbury's, Sky Television, and charitable foundations.
2. Legal Firm Partnership Revenue: Participating law firms donate 10% of their Power of Attorney income to The Dementia Trust during the Planning Ahead campaign, creating a sustainable revenue stream while supporting a charitable cause.
3. Charitable Grants Received: The Trust receives support from charitable foundations and government bodies including The Atlantic Philanthropies, Robert Bosch Foundation, Robertson Trust, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Dementia Trust is a Scottish-registered charitable foundation that funds innovative dementia care projects through grant programmes (Disruption Awards up to £15,000 and Impact Accelerator Awards up to £45,000). It also runs the Planning Ahead campaign to promote Power of Attorney awareness in Scotland and participates in community fundraising events such as Kiltwalk to support people living with dementia and their carers.

Product overview

The Dementia Trust operates primarily as a funding and grant-making organisation rather than a product company. Its core offerings consist of two main award programmes: the Disruption Awards (grants up to £15,000 for innovative ideas) and the Impact Accelerator Awards (grants up to £45,000 for evidence-based research). The Trust also runs the Planning Ahead Campaign focused on Power of Attorney awareness in Scotland, participates in Kiltwalk fundraising events, and funds knowledge-sharing initiatives including the Dementia Festival of Ideas and the Iris think pieces series. These offerings work together to fund bold ideas that improve lives of people living with dementia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Disruption Awards: Flagship funding programme to find and fund bold ideas that change the future of dementia, offering grants up to £15,000 to individuals, groups and organisations.
• Impact Accelerator Awards
• Planning Ahead
• Iris

Products and services

• Disruption Awards A grant programme offering funding of up to £15,000 to individuals, groups and organisations with innovative, bold ideas that can improve life for people living with dementia and their carers. Ideas must be developed alongside people living with dementia. Applications are reviewed by the Disruption Awards Panel.
• Impact Accelerator Awards A grant programme offering funding of up to £45,000 for evidence-based research projects, supported by matched funding from Dementia Research UK and the Dementia Trust. The programme aims to scale proven solutions and influence wider policy and practice. 2026 applications are now closed.
• Planning Ahead Campaign A national movement in Scotland to protect families through early Power of Attorney conversations. The campaign provides guidance, resources, and a list of suggested Scottish law firms to help people organise their Power of Attorney before a crisis occurs. Partner law firms donate 10% of related income to The Dementia Trust.
• Dementia Festival of Ideas A year-long programme of events and initiatives celebrating the Trust's work, featuring the International Dementia Conference and recorded discussions on dementia-related topics.
• Iris Think Pieces A series of think pieces launched in 2012 addressing issues shaping dementia policy, care and practice. Originally commissioned to stimulate dialogue between practitioners, organisations, policy makers, and to promote public understanding and engagement.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DEMCARES in SCARF (Schizophrenia Research Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2016Collaboration with DEMCARES in Chennai, India started in November 2016. The partnership supports clinical and support services for people with dementia in India, funds staff visits to Scotland, and has helped build the first non-profit hospital for people with dementia in Tamil Nadu.
• Scottish Chamber OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver ReConnect music therapy projects in NHS Lothian and NHS Fife dementia wards. Musicians bring live performances to patients, with training provided by dementia expert Professor June Andrews.
• Ralph Sayer, McDougall McQueen, Blackadders, Balfour and MansoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEdinburgh law firms participating in Planning Ahead campaign. Each firm pledges to raise awareness among clients about Power of Attorney and donates 10% of POA income to The Dementia Trust, raising over £7,000.
• Rare Dementia Support (RDS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to produce high quality information and interviews about rare forms of dementia through the Conversations with Experts project.
• Chichester Festival TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded Disruption Award funding for (B)old participatory arts project delivering creative workshops for people with dementia, with focus on older men and global majority participants.
• Tide (Together in Dementia Everyday)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for peer support network for people living with young onset dementia and their carers in Merseyside.
• Bessie Makatini FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African foundation working across urban, peri-urban and rural communities to support people living with dementia and their carers through community radio, support groups, and educational webinars.
• Arti Prashar OBEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipatory arts expert serving as mentor for Chichester Festival Theatre's (B)old project, passing on knowledge and skills for working with people living with dementia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Innovations in Dementia: UK community interest company focused on innovative approaches to dementia care and advocacy. Shares the disruptive innovation ethos and small-scale focus of The Dementia Trust.
• Tide (Together in Dementia Everyday): UK charity supporting people affected by young onset dementia and their carers. Direct partner of The Dementia Trust (Merseyside peer support project) with similar mission and target population.
• Alzheimer's Research UK: UK's leading dementia research charity and co-funder of the Impact Accelerator Awards via Dementia Research UK. Both organizations fund innovative dementia research and care projects.
• Alzheimer's Society: UK's largest dementia charity providing support, research funding, and advocacy. Directly comparable mission to improve lives of people with dementia, but operates at much larger scale with broader service delivery.
• Dementia UK: UK charity providing specialist dementia Admiral Nurses and family support. Shares the dementia-focused mission with overlapping beneficiary populations (people with dementia and carers).
• Rare Dementia Support: UK-based support service for people with rare forms of dementia (Imperial College London-affiliated). Direct grant recipient of The Dementia Trust, with overlapping beneficiary populations and research focus.
• Lewy Body Society: UK charity dedicated to Lewy body dementia, with overlapping trustee connections (Sandra McDonald). Both are smaller, focused dementia charities working to improve specialist care and research.

Broad incumbents

• Carers Trust: UK charity supporting unpaid carers, including those caring for people with dementia. Comparable in providing services and grantmaking to support carers, but with broader focus across all caring situations.
• Age UK: UK's largest charity for older people, with significant dementia-related programs and broader scope. Comparable organizationally as a major UK charity with grants and services, but operates across all older adult issues.
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Large UK grantmaking foundation with charitable trust structure. Comparable peer as a grantmaking organization with decades of operating history, though broader in social policy focus beyond dementia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=g8WueJRVH_g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dementia-trust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Dementia Trust