Charity Accounts Intelreading the accounts so you don’t have to

COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS

Registered charity 207471 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q5176270 · Wikipedia · also known as CARA, COUNCIL FOR ASSISTING REFUGEE ACADEMICS, SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF SCIENCE AND LEARNING LIMITED

To assist academics who are subject to or at risk of discrimination, persecution, suffering or violence, to relieve needs among them and their dependants so that their abilities can continue to be used for the public benefit; to support academics and their institutions in countries where their work is at risk or compromised, to ensure that they can continue to fulfil their role as educators.

Objects

2.1 TO ASSIST ACADEMICS, WHO HAVE BEEN, OR ARE, OR ARE AT RISK OF BEING, SUBJECT TO DISCRIMINATION, PERSECUTION, SUFFERING OR VIOLENCE ON ACCOUNT OF RACE, RELIGION, NATIONALITY, MEMBERSHIP OF A PARTICULAR SOCIAL GROUP, OR POLITICAL OPINION, TO RELIEVE NEEDS AMONG THEM AND THEIR DEPENDANTS AND ENSURE THAT THEIR SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES CAN CONTINUE TO BE USED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC;2.2 TO ADVANCE EDUCATION BY SUPPORTING ACADEMICS AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN COUNTRIES WHERE THEIR CONTINUING WORK IS AT RISK OR COMPROMISED, TO ENSURE THAT SUCH ACADEMICS AND INSTITUTIONS CAN CONTINUE TO FULFIL THEIR CRITICAL ROLE AS EDUCATORS FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT.

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: Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

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

Latest income
£11.4m
Latest spending
£11.1m
Registered
1962
Accounts read
FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported a net income surplus of £306,852 for the year ended 31 December 2025, with total income of £11,394,068 and total expenditure of £11,141,446. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves are maintained in a range of not less than six months and not more than twelve months of normal operating costs, and the auditors confirmed the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: above £60,000 — below the median for charities its size (£130k)
“Two employees (2024 — one) earned above £60,000 per annum.” — page 20
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Employees paid over £60,000: 2
“Two employees (2024 — one) earned above £60,000 per annum.” — page 20
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: not less than six months’ and not more than twelve months’ worth of normal operating costs (reserves figure: £922k)
“Cara should maintain unrestricted reserves in a range of not less than six months’ and not more than twelve months’ worth of normal operating costs” — page 8
Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Cocke, Vellacott & Hill. Discloses 6 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.

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 31/12/2025

  • Government income: £6,173,626 — grants £6,173,626 (1); 54% of the £11,394,058 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£70,001–£80,000: 2)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2024

  • Government income: £7,613,101 — grants £7,613,101 (2); 55% of the £13,957,477 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 1; £70,001–£80,000: 1)
  • Grant-making is its main activity

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/12/2023

  • Government income: £71,709 — grants £71,709 (1); under 1% of the £12,464,333 total gross income on the same return
  • Employees paid over £60,000: 2 (£60,001–£70,000: 2)
  • 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).

Corporate structure

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — CARA (COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS) (matched by registered charity number).

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

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.

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

Total income
£11.4m
Total spending
£11.1m
Cost of raising funds
£54k
Reserves (reported)
£1.1m
Employees
19

Reported reserves equal ~1.1 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (97% 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: 0.5% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.7%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

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

Operates in: Australia · Canada · France · Germany · Hong Kong · Jordan · Malaysia · Northern Ireland · Scotland · Syria · Throughout England And Wales · Turkey

Income and spending

Financial year endIncomeSpending
31/12/2025£11.4m£11.1m
31/12/2024£14.0m£14.1m
31/12/2023£12.5m£12.2m
31/12/2022£6.1m£6.5m
31/12/2021£3.1m£2.7m

Common questions

Is COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported a net income surplus of £306,852 for the year ended 31 December 2025, with total income of £11,394,068 and total expenditure of £11,141,446. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves are maintained in a range of not less than six months and not more than twelve months of normal operating costs, and the auditors confirmed the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Cocke, Vellacott & Hill.

What does the highest-paid employee of COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS earn?

Per its FY2025 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the above £60,000 band, and 2 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS?

Funders whose own accounts filings name COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS as a grant recipient include THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES, NORTHERN CONSORTIUM.

Known funders

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

FunderYearAmountPurpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIESFY2023£10.5mResearchers at Risk Fellowships administration
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIESFY2025£8.1mResearchers at Risk / Global Challenges Research Fund
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIESFY2024£3.2mGrants to institutions
NORTHERN CONSORTIUMFY2024£25kMulti-year funding for CARA fellows
NORTHERN CONSORTIUMFY2023amount not statedSupport for cara fellows placed within Member Institutions

Government & lottery funding

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

FunderDateAmountPurpose
UK government01/12/2022£57kMSCA for Researchers at Risk 2021
A B Charitable Trust09/07/2013£5kPractical support to at-risk/refugee academics.

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
SCOULOUDI FOUNDATION1£27k
HIGHWAY ONE TRUST1£15k
THE LINDER FOUNDATION1£14k
THE EVAN CORNISH FOUNDATION1£5k
THE OAKDALE TRUST1£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE ASSOCIATION OF ADVISERS FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING AND EDUCATIONAL VISITS.

Side by side with its peers

CharityIncomeTop pay bandStaff >£60kReserves vs policyFundraising costGoing concern
COUNCIL FOR AT-RISK ACADEMICS£11.4mabove £60,0002unclear—no doubt
THE ASSOCIATION OF ADVISERS FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING AND EDUCATIONAL VISITS FY2025£213k—0unclear—no doubt
USER VOICE FY2025£784k—0unclear—no doubt
THE ARC FY2025£1.4m—0unclear—no doubt
AIM FY2025£628k—0above—no doubt
SIMPLE REASON FY2026£61k—0unclear—no doubt

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