The Usborne Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Usborne Foundation's stated focus is national, and its themes are literacy, mental health, animal welfare, education and poverty relief, so work in those areas is the kind it describes.
- No grant range is stated, so ask the foundation about likely sizes before settling on an amount for a request.
- Its annual giving was £515,438, and no application process is published, so start with a short enquiry through the contact it shows rather than a full proposal.
- It says it does not fund unsolicited requests, and trustees choose at their discretion which charities and purposes to support, so organisations whose projects do not align with its aims and vision should not apply.
Overview
The Usborne Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1121957).
The Usborne Foundation is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It describes its purpose as harnessing research, design and technology to create playful media addressing issues from literacy to health. Its named programmes are Early Literacy and Healthy eating. Its annual giving was £515,438.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The foundation supports other organisations working to support literacy, alongside charities focused on mental health and animal welfare. Its stated charitable policy also encompasses the furtherance of education generally and the relief of poverty, particularly among children, for purposes beneficial to the public. It funds and sponsors other charities and makes donations to charitable institutions it considers appropriate. Trustees have discretion to choose the charities and charitable purposes supported. The foundation’s funding therefore brings together learning and education, poverty relief, and support for organisations focused on literacy, mental health and animal welfare.
Themes
- Literacy
- Mental health
- Animal welfare
- Education
- Poverty relief
Geographic Focus
National.
What they don't fund
- Unsolicited requests for funding
- Projects that do not align with our aims and vision
How to apply
No application process is published in the charity's annual report, its register entry or its website. The contact shown is for getting in touch.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The trustees choose which charities or charitable purposes to support at their discretion.
- The foundation aims to support projects that align with its aims and vision.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- United Kingdom
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Usborne Foundation.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in this funder’s latest annual report:
- Teach Your Monster Limited£500,438year to 31 December 2025
Grant examples taken from the funder’s filed accounts. Not included above: 1 line covering other, unnamed recipients (£15,000).
Five years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2021 | £1,824,597 | £1,136,530 | £1,130,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £627,629 | £1,164,711 | £1,160,485 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £9,812 | £1,013,246 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £2,356,656 | £1,026,784 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | £53,396 | £523,507 | £515,438 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
In 2 of the 3 years shown, grants paid exceeded income.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022: 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
- usbornefoundation.org.uk/supporting-other-organisations · read on 24 October 2026
- usbornefoundation.org.uk/contact · read on 24 October 2026
- usbornefoundation.org.uk · read on 24 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 24 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The Usborne Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@usbornefoundation.org.uksource
- 83-85 Saffron Hill | London EC1N 8RTsource
- usbornefoundation.org.uk
Applying to The Usborne Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- info@usbornefoundation.org.uksource
- 83-85 Saffron Hill | London EC1N 8RTsource
- usbornefoundation.org.uk