How WhereWeLearn is funded, what funding enables, and how accountability is maintained
WhereWeLearn is a charity-led, non-commercial initiative that exists for public benefit.
Funding is treated as a means of stewardship — not growth, leverage, or extraction.
This page explains how funding is used, what it supports, and the principles that govern financial decisions.
Our funding approach
WhereWeLearn seeks funding to ensure that the service:
- remains freely accessible
- is reliable and well-maintained
- is governed responsibly
- can be improved carefully over time
Funding supports continuity, quality, and trust — not scale for its own sake.
What funding is used for
Funding may be used to support areas such as:
- maintaining and operating the WhereWeLearn service
- accessibility, usability, and reliability improvements
- governance, compliance, and safeguarding requirements
- security, hosting, and infrastructure costs
- professional services required for responsible operation
- documentation, transparency, and reporting
Expenditure decisions are guided by public benefit, proportionality, and long-term sustainability.
What funding is not used for
To protect independence and trust, funding is not used for:
- advertising-driven growth or user acquisition
- data monetisation or commercial exploitation
- paid promotion of learning providers or materials
- speculative or extractive activity
- incentives that create pressure or dependency
WhereWeLearn does not pursue revenue models that conflict with its charitable purpose.
Independence from funders
Funding does not grant influence over:
- educational direction
- learning pathways or material visibility
- governance decisions
- data access or use
Support enables the charity’s mission — it does not steer it.
Maintaining independence is essential to neutrality and credibility.
Financial responsibility and restraint
WhereWeLearn approaches finances with restraint.
This means:
- spending only where there is clear public benefit
- avoiding unnecessary complexity or overhead
- prioritising durability over rapid expansion
- declining funding that introduces misalignment or risk
Growth is not treated as a success metric.
Trust is.
Transparency and reporting
WhereWeLearn is committed to transparency that is meaningful rather than performative.
This includes:
- clear explanation of how funding is used
- high-level financial reporting appropriate to scale
- openness about what is still evolving
- proportional reporting rather than excessive bureaucracy
As formal structures mature, reporting will evolve accordingly and be documented through the Transparency Hub.
Donations and support
WhereWeLearn welcomes support that aligns with its purpose and principles.
Support may take different forms, including:
- financial contributions
- professional expertise
- partnership or collaboration
All support is assessed through the same governance and independence lens.
What is still evolving
Some financial elements are intentionally evolving, including:
- long-term funding mix
- reporting formats and frequency
- governance structures associated with scale
Where certainty does not yet exist, we aim to say so plainly.
Closing principle
WhereWeLearn exists to support learning — not to extract value from it.
Funding is a responsibility, not an entitlement.
It is handled with care, restraint, and accountability to the public good.