THE INVOLVE FOUNDATION
Registered charity 1130568 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also registered in Scotland as SC047314 (OSCR)
Since Involve was founded in 2003 we have worked closely with public organisations at a local, national and international level to transform how they engage with citizens. Our work seeks to create new innovations, new institutions and new norms of democracy. We do this by developing world-class participatory and deliberative processes, and by setting the agenda and building coalitions.
Causes: Education/training · Economic/community Development/employment · Other Charitable Purposes · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved its largest ever year in terms of turnover, with total income rising to £2.7 million. However, unrestricted reserves of £404,000 are noted to be towards the lower end of the charity's stated policy target of three to six months of operating expenses. The trustees report that while there was a modest increase in reserves, they plan to grow them further in the coming year to meet the policy target.
Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy (held: £404k; policy: three and six months of operating expenses)
“Current reserves are therefore towards the lower end of this range.”
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Ed Cox, a trustee, is Executive Director for WMCA. WMCA paid Involve £84,384 for project work.
“Ed Cox, a trustee (resigned 26 June 2025), is the Executive Director for West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). WMCA have joined a project that Involve are running, and during the year WMCA paid £84,384 to Involve to plan the Net Zero panel workshops (2024: £41,050, for the provision of training and coaching).” — page 33
“Andrew Cave, a trustee, is a director of the Sortition Foundation. Involve paid the Sortition Foundation £53,912 (2024: £nil) for consultancy and project work. No amounts were outstanding at year end (2024: No amounts).” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Andrew Cave, a trustee, is a director of the Sortition Foundation. Involve paid the Sortition Foundation £53,912 for consultancy and project work.
“Ed Cox, a trustee (resigned 26 June 2025), is the Executive Director for West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). WMCA have joined a project that Involve are running, and during the year WMCA paid £84,384 to Involve to plan the Net Zero panel workshops (2024: £41,050, for the provision of training and coaching).” — page 33
“Andrew Cave, a trustee, is a director of the Sortition Foundation. Involve paid the Sortition Foundation £53,912 (2024: £nil) for consultancy and project work. No amounts were outstanding at year end (2024: No amounts).” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Kathy Jones, a trustee, is a partner in Forestville Communications Pty Ltd. Involve paid £600 for 50% of illustration work commissioned jointly with Forestville.
“Ed Cox, a trustee (resigned 26 June 2025), is the Executive Director for West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). WMCA have joined a project that Involve are running, and during the year WMCA paid £84,384 to Involve to plan the Net Zero panel workshops (2024: £41,050, for the provision of training and coaching).” — page 33
“Andrew Cave, a trustee, is a director of the Sortition Foundation. Involve paid the Sortition Foundation £53,912 (2024: £nil) for consultancy and project work. No amounts were outstanding at year end (2024: No amounts).” — page 33
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Godfrey Wilson Limited. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Corporate structure
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.
- WALLACE, Anna — director, appointed 27/06/2025on trustee list
- VACARRO, James Carmine Antony — director, appointed 27/06/2025not on trustee list
- STEELE, Kevin — director, appointed 26/06/2025on trustee list
- HAMELO-MENSAH, Delaweh — director, appointed 10/08/2023on trustee list
- CAVE, Andrew — director, appointed 20/04/2023on trustee list
- ESEONU, Temidayo Oluwaseun, Dr — director, appointed 27/05/2021on trustee list
- BRAITHWAITE, Paul Jack — director, appointed 27/05/2021on trustee list
- JONES, Kathryn Laurel — director, appointed 04/11/2019on trustee list
- BRIDGES, Gareth John — secretary, appointed 13/06/2025
Official officers record.
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Cost of raising funds
£105k
Reported reserves equal ~1.8 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (100% 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: 3.9% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
- Kevin Steelechair · trustee of 1 other charity
- Andrew Cave · trustee of 1 other charity
- Anna Wallace
- Delaweh Hamelo-Mensah
- Dr Temidayo Oluwaseun Eseonu
- James Vaccaro
- Kathryn Laurel Jones
- Paul Jack Braithwaite
Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).
Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales
Income and spending
Common questions
Is THE INVOLVE FOUNDATION financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved its largest ever year in terms of turnover, with total income rising to £2.7 million. However, unrestricted reserves of £404,000 are noted to be towards the lower end of the charity's stated policy target of three to six months of operating expenses. The trustees report that while there was a modest increase in reserves, they plan to grow them further in the coming year to meet the policy target. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Godfrey Wilson Limited.
Who funds THE INVOLVE FOUNDATION?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE INVOLVE FOUNDATION as a grant recipient include THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST.
Known funders
Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.
Government & lottery funding
Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).
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 INVOLVE NORTH EAST.
Side by side with its peers
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