The Hiscox Foundation

Analysis

The Hiscox Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in December 1987, 39 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, environment/conservation/heritage and economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under environment and conservation. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending April 2025, The Hiscox Foundation reported income of £1.7m and spending of £1.2m, leaving 30% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from April 2021 to April 2025, income grew from £1.0m to £1.7m (+68%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to April 2024, when income rose by 409%. Over the whole period it spent 108% of the income it received.

Among 4,574 England and Wales charities whose main cause is environment and conservation and that reported income, The Hiscox Foundation sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Population Matters (£1.7m), The Arboricultural Association (£1.7m) and The Gaia Foundation (£1.7m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 83% and investments 17%. Charitable activities took 92% of spending and raising funds 1.9%. Reserves of £9.9m would cover about 92 months of spending at that rate.