THE NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST

Registered charity 1116260 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC042944 (OSCR)

Latest income
£14.3m
Latest spending
£14.4m
Registered
2006
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total funds decreased to £3,704,462 at year-end, with unrestricted free reserves standing at £512,975. This reserve level represents 1.5 months of unrestricted expenditure, which is below the charity's stated policy target of three months. The trustees acknowledge this shortfall and have adopted a budget for the following year to focus on generating more unrestricted reserves.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy
The unrestricted free reserves represent 1.5 months of unrestricted expenditure rather than the three that is the policy. — page 25
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Pension scheme deficit: £81k
Besides, the total unpaid pension contributions relating to Section 75 debt on withdrawal from the Pension Trust Scheme at financial year ending 31 March 2025 were £80,879 — page 50
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — National Literacy Trust (matched by registered charity number).

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income
£14.3m
Total spending
£14.4m
Cost of raising funds
£1.3m
Reserves (reported)
£513k
Employees
202

Reported reserves equal ~0.4 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Register events

Trustees

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/03/2025£14.3m£14.4m
31/03/2024£12.1m£12.6m
31/03/2023£10.5m£10.9m
31/03/2022£9.1m£7.2m
31/03/2021£7.1m£6.4m

Common questions

Is THE NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST financially healthy?

The accounts state that total funds decreased to £3,704,462 at year-end, with unrestricted free reserves standing at £512,975. This reserve level represents 1.5 months of unrestricted expenditure, which is below the charity's stated policy target of three months. The trustees acknowledge this shortfall and have adopted a budget for the following year to focus on generating more unrestricted reserves. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Sayer Vincent LLP.

Who funds THE NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE NATIONAL LITERACY TRUST as a grant recipient include THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST, THE FOYLE FOUNDATION, THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATION, THE EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION, The Portal Trust.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

FunderYearAmount
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£1.2m
THE FOYLE FOUNDATIONFY2025£1.2m
THE FOYLE FOUNDATIONFY2024£650k
THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£409k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATIONFY2024£270k
THE EDUCATION ENDOWMENT FOUNDATIONFY2024£245k
THE FIDELITY UK FOUNDATIONFY2022£130k
The Portal TrustFY2025£102k
BUPA FOUNDATIONFY2023£80k
THE REECE FOUNDATIONFY2024£74k
CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTONFY2025£67k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATIONFY2022£50k
BOOKER PRIZE FOUNDATIONFY2025£50k
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£50k
The Portal TrustFY2023£48k
THE FIREBIRD FOUNDATIONFY2023£44k
The Goldsmiths' FoundationFY2023£29k
THE GREENSLADE FAMILY FOUNDATIONFY2024£25k
THE ALDGATE AND ALLHALLOWS FOUNDATIONFY2024£24k
THE SLAUGHTER AND MAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£24k
NORFOLK COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONFY2024£23k
THE PWC FOUNDATIONFY2023£22k
THE FIREBIRD FOUNDATIONFY2024£20k
THE PWC FOUNDATIONFY2024£18k
The Keith Howard FoundationFY2021£15k
THE ADRIAN SWIRE CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£15k
THE BRITFORD BRIDGE TRUSTFY2024£15k
THE GUARDIAN FOUNDATIONFY2024£14k
ENERGISE MEFY2024£10k
THE MARY KINROSS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2024£9k
THE KERRISON TRUSTFY2024£7k
BOOKER PRIZE FOUNDATIONFY2023£7k
THE LAWSON TRUST CIOFY2024£5k
THE JOHN COATES CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE PETER STEBBINGS MEMORIAL CHARITYFY2023£5k
THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
THE KEN AND EDNA MORRISON CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£5k
The Patricia Routledge FoundationFY2024£5k
SPEARS-STUTZ CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2025£5k
DUCHY HEALTH CHARITY LIMITEDFY2025£5k
THE DIXIE ROSE FINDLAY CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£3k
Royal Warrant Holders' CharityFY2023£2k
FRAZER TRUSTFY2024£2k
THE EDGAR E LAWLEY FOUNDATIONFY2022£2k
R G HILLS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£1k
THE WILLIE AND MABEL MORRIS CHARITABLE TRUSTFY2023£250

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

FunderDateAmountPurpose
The National Lottery Heritage Fund03/09/2024£250k"Voices for the Future"

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with UNITED KINGDOM & EUROPE WORLD LITERACY FOUNDATION.