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THE POLITICAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Registered charity 1071825 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as POLITICAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION, PSA

The Association exists to promote the development of political studies and to encourage education and the advancement of learning in the subject. To this end it publishes 4 journals and a magazine in partnership with Sage; arranges an annual conference, graduate conference and Heads of Department conference and supports an array of specialist research groups and activities for schools.

Objects

THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL STUDIES AND TO ENCOURAGE EDUCATION AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING IN THE ART AND SCIENCE OF GOVERNMENT AND IN OTHER BRANCHES OF THE POLITICAL SCIENCES

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: General Charitable Purposes · Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income
£932k
Latest spending
£910k
Registered
1998
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity holds free unrestricted reserves of £657,937, which exceed the stated reserves policy target of the higher of £450,000 or six months' running costs. The trustees confirm the charity is in a strong financial position with guaranteed income, although they note potential future risks from changes in academic publication practices.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: the higher of £450,000 in cash or six months running costs which is around £298,000 (held: £658k)
“For so long as the Association shall own a property the market value of which is no less than £1.4 million, the PSA will retain the higher of £450,000 in cash or six months running costs which is around £298,000.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — Political Studies Association (matched by registered charity number).

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold); recorded price paid £1.4m. All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2025)

Total income
£932k
Total spending
£910k
Reserves (reported)
£2.8m
Employees
9

Reported reserves equal ~36.9 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (90% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£932k£910k
31/12/2024£996k£868k
31/12/2023£863k£618k
31/12/2022£807k£650k
31/12/2021£756k£609k

Common questions

Is THE POLITICAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity holds free unrestricted reserves of £657,937, which exceed the stated reserves policy target of the higher of £450,000 or six months' running costs. The trustees confirm the charity is in a strong financial position with guaranteed income, although they note potential future risks from changes in academic publication practices. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

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.

FunderSimilar charities fundedAmount to them
THE GUARDIAN FOUNDATION1£28k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
THE POLITICAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM£932k——above—no doubt
EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH FY2025£2.2m£90,001 - £100,0004below—no doubt
THE BRITISH SOCIETY OF AESTHETICS FY2023£194k—0unclear—no doubt
REGIONAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION FY2025£1.4m——above—no doubt
HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY INSTITUTE FY2025£842k£110,000 - £119,9991above—no doubt
THE SOCIAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FY2025£690k—0above—no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.