The Hearn Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated themes are underprivileged children and the arts, so a small charity whose work sits in one of those areas is the clearest fit, and its stated focus is the United Kingdom, with Greater London a priority.
- The named grants in the annual report run from £46,500 to £1,150,000, with a median of £100,000, so a request sized to a specific project and near the middle of that range is a sensible starting point.
- No application process is publicly published, and the trustees review funds and applications on a continuous basis, so there are no deadlines to plan around and a clear written approach can be sent at any time.
- The annual report does not say how competitive the foundation is or whether existing relationships matter, so do not assume either way before you make contact.
Overview
The Hearn Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1118490).
The Hearn Foundation is a registered charity that makes grants to institutions whose main focus is underprivileged children and the arts. It gives to organisations working with underprivileged children and to organisations working in the arts. Its latest annual report records £2,202,089 in total grants.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The foundation makes grants to institutions whose main focus is towards underprivileged children and support of the arts. Its trustees review available funds and grant applications on a continuous basis. The register records that it makes grants to organisations. A school partner describes it as a significant funder of arts programmes, including programmes at theatres and a conservatoire. In its partnership with a school, the foundation shares a vision of the power of arts to transform lives and develop attributes such as teamwork, empathy, creativity, problem-solving and self-confidence.
Themes
- Underprivileged children
- Arts
Geographic Focus
United Kingdom. Priority: Greater London.
How to apply
The trustees review available funds and grant applications on a continuous basis.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
- Greater London
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Hearn Foundation.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 9 grants in year to 31 December 2025 by size
Median £100k (year to 31 December 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Central Foundation School£1,133,334year to 31 December 2025
- National Theatre£341,000year to 31 December 2025
- St Peter's London Docks School£179,205year to 31 December 2025
- Old Vic£112,500year to 31 December 2025
- Macular Disease Society£100,000year to 31 December 2025
- Deborah Ubee Trust£75,000year to 31 December 2025
- EBP South£73,973year to 31 December 2025
- Blackheath Conservatoire£50,350year to 31 December 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 line covering other, unnamed recipients (£89,977).
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £124 | £285,183 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £1,722 | £333,419 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £942,696 | £1,417,177 | £1,281,774 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £882,046 | £785,892 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £4,415,434 | £2,283,523 | £2,202,089 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
In 1 of the 2 years shown, grants paid exceeded income.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.
— No grants figure for that year.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- centralfoundation.co.uk/launch-saturday-creative-arts-hearn-centre · read on 30 October 2026; a page about the charity on another site
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
Sources last checked on 30 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The Hearn Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- Charity Commission register entryContact details as held by the Charity Commission
Applying to The Hearn Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Charity Commission register entryContact details as held by the Charity Commission