THE RISMAN FOUNDATION

Registered charity 1123010 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

The Risman Foundation is focused on grant-making and social investment in a variety of areas with emphases on social entrepreneurship, education, sporting endeavour, travel and humanity-related matters.

Objects

THE TRUSTEES SHALL HOLD THE TRUST FUND AND ITS INCOME UPON TRUST TO APPLY THEM FOR ALL OBJECTS WHICH ARE REGARDED AS EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE UNDER THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED. IN PRACTICE ENGLAND AND WALES

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 · The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives · Disability · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Overseas Aid/famine Relief · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Westminster, London, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£22.5m

Latest spending

£1.1m

Registered

2008

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity held unrestricted reserves of £74.9m at the year end, which is ahead of its stated policy target of £52.65m. The charity reported a significant surplus of £21.4m for the year, driven by £20m in donations and £2.5m in investment income, against charitable expenditure of £858k and support costs of £219k. The trustees confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future.

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

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: twelve months’ operating costs based on the budget for the year ahead, plus twelve months of steady state anticipated partnership grants, plus the anticipated spend on major grants or capital projects in the next 5 years (reserves figure: £74.9m)

“The current policy, approved in January 2025, is that reserves should be sufficient to cover, twelve months’ operating costs based on the budget for the year ahead, plus twelve months of steady state anticipated partnership grants, plus the anticipated spend on major grants or capital projects in the next 5 years.” — page 13

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Mr M A Risman, a trustee, paid expenses of £nil (2024 - £nil) on behalf of the charity. A balance of £4,560 was due to the Trustee at the year end (2024 - £4,560) relating to charity expenses paid by Mr Risman in previous years, which is included within other creditors above.

“Mr M A Risman, a trustee, paid expenses of £nil (2024 - £nil) on behalf of the charity. A balance of £4,560 was due to the Trustee at the year end (2024 - £4,560) relating to charity expenses paid by Mr Risman in previous years, which is included within other creditors above.” — page 27

“During the year, the charity paid £1,875 (2024 - £1,875) donations to The Venture Partnership Foundation Limited, a charity in which Mr M A Risman is also a trustee.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: During the year, the charity paid £1,875 (2024 - £1,875) donations to The Venture Partnership Foundation Limited, a charity in which Mr M A Risman is also a trustee.

“Mr M A Risman, a trustee, paid expenses of £nil (2024 - £nil) on behalf of the charity. A balance of £4,560 was due to the Trustee at the year end (2024 - £4,560) relating to charity expenses paid by Mr Risman in previous years, which is included within other creditors above.” — page 27

“During the year, the charity paid £1,875 (2024 - £1,875) donations to The Venture Partnership Foundation Limited, a charity in which Mr M A Risman is also a trustee.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: During the year, the charity made a loan of £5,000 to The Risman Foundation, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 15837689 of which all 4 trustees are also directors. The full £5k balance was outstanding at the year end.

“Mr M A Risman, a trustee, paid expenses of £nil (2024 - £nil) on behalf of the charity. A balance of £4,560 was due to the Trustee at the year end (2024 - £4,560) relating to charity expenses paid by Mr Risman in previous years, which is included within other creditors above.” — page 27

“During the year, the charity paid £1,875 (2024 - £1,875) donations to The Venture Partnership Foundation Limited, a charity in which Mr M A Risman is also a trustee.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: The Risman Foundation

“During the year, the charity made a loan of £5,000 to The Risman Foundation, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 15837689 of which all 4 trustees are also directors.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by PM+M Solutions for Business LLP. 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.

Conflicting interests
Financial reserves policy and procedures
Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
Internal risk management policy and procedures
Investing charity funds policy and procedures
Investment
Risk management
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Volunteer management

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Volunteers: 2
Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Grant-making is its main activity

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

Risman Foundation is Hiring a Programme Officer – Apply Before 21 September 2025 globalsouthopportunities.com · 12/08/2025

Corporate structure

Trading subsidiary: THE RISMAN FOUNDATION Companies House 15837689

THE RISMAN FOUNDATION — per its own Companies House accounts

No intra-group transactions disclosed as the company was dormant.

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

Total income

£22.5m

Total spending

£1.1m

Reserves (reported)

£74.9m

Employees

0

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (89% 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 (3.7%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

MICHAEL ADAM RISMANchair
Richard Aston
Rowena Nason
Simon Roberts

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

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£22.5m	£1.1m
31/03/2024	£2.3m	£389k
31/03/2023	£25.1m	£137k
31/03/2022	£15.6m	£100k
31/03/2021	£9.4m	£64k

Common questions

Is THE RISMAN FOUNDATION financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity held unrestricted reserves of £74.9m at the year end, which is ahead of its stated policy target of £52.65m. The charity reported a significant surplus of £21.4m for the year, driven by £20m in donations and £2.5m in investment income, against charitable expenditure of £858k and support costs of £219k. The trustees confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by PM+M Solutions for Business LLP.

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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
FISHMONGERS' COMPANY'S CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£1.1m
BACON FOUNDATION LTD	1	£1.0m

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with RSM UK FOUNDATION.

RSM UK FOUNDATION income £1.2m
GRAHAM ROWLANDSON FOUNDATION income £314k
THE RICEPUDS CHARITABLE TRUST income £58k
THE SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION income £1.1m
THE KREITMAN FOUNDATION income £53k
THE FRANCES AND AUGUSTUS NEWMAN FOUNDATION income £616k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE RISMAN FOUNDATION	£22.5m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
RSM UK FOUNDATION FY2025	£1.2m	—	0	above	—	no doubt
GRAHAM ROWLANDSON FOUNDATION FY2026	£314k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE RICEPUDS CHARITABLE TRUST FY2025	£58k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE SOCIAL MARKET FOUNDATION FY2025	£1.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE KREITMAN FOUNDATION FY2025	£53k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

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