ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS)
Registered charity 208791 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY
Advancement and promotion of geographical knowledge and understanding of the world, locally and globally: public engagement; education and outdoor learning; research; grants for research, expeditions, innovative teaching; information services and resources; policy, advocacy and media; active membership.
Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts
Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts
The accounts state that unrestricted reserves increased to £6.47m, exceeding the trustees' stated policy target of £3.2m (50% of annual expenditure). The trustees confirm adequate resources for going concern through 2026, noting that while the economic environment is challenging, the society has sufficient reserves and a plan to increase income.
Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.
What the accounts disclose
Largest income source: Membership subscriptions (28% of income)
“28% Membership subscriptions” — page 17
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Reserves policy: 50% of the Society’s annual expenditure, equivalent to approximately £3.2m (held: £6.5m)
“Council considers that the appropriate minimum level of free reserves should be set at 50% of the Society’s annual expenditure, equivalent to approximately £3.2m at current levels of activity.”
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Related-party transaction: Payment to company controlled by a Trustee
“In the year, the Society paid £900 to a company controlled by a Trustee in respect of a contract for services entered into before the individual became a Trustee (2023: £3,000). Two Trustees received honoraria totalling £3,000 for their editorships of one of the Society’s journals, Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (2023: no Trustees and £nil). With the exception of this contract for services and the editor’s honoraria, neither the group or the Society have identified any related party transactions other than those referred to in note 24.” — page 35
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Trading subsidiary: Royal Geographical Society Enterprises Limited
“The Society beneficially owns the entire share capital of Royal Geographical Society Enterprises Limited (company number: 01322564), a company incorporated in England, and through which the Society’s commercial activities are carried out.” — page 26
Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.
Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.
Funders the charity credits
Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).
Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)
Cost of raising funds
£307k
Reported reserves equal ~12.6 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).
Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 4.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).
Register events
- Received assets from another charity (21/01/2025) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Received assets from another charity (24/10/2014) — per the register’s event history; asset transfers typically record mergers or reorganisations.
- Alan Parkinson
- Ashley Parry Jones
- Clare Elizabeth Hadley
- David Douglas Scott
- David John Wood
- Dr Simon Oakes
- Matthew Stephen Pycroft
- Oliver Steeds
- Paul Richard Dickinson · trustee of 2 other charities
- Professor Beth Joanna Greenhough
- Professor Dame Jane Elizabeth Francis
- Professor Jennifer Mary Pickerill
- Professor Tariq Jazeel · trustee of 1 other charity
- Steven Andrew Jones
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 ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS) financially healthy?
Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted reserves increased to £6.47m, exceeding the trustees' stated policy target of £3.2m (50% of annual expenditure). The trustees confirm adequate resources for going concern through 2026, noting that while the economic environment is challenging, the society has sufficient reserves and a plan to increase income. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.
Who funds ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS)?
Funders whose own accounts filings name ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH THE INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS) as a grant recipient include ROYAL COMMISSION FOR THE EXHIBITION OF 1851, THE RISMAN FOUNDATION, ANTIPODE FOUNDATION LTD., THE SAMUEL STOREY FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST.
Shared trustees with funders
Register facts shown side by side: a person serves as trustee of both this charity and a funder whose accounts record grants to it. Shared trusteeship is lawful and common; well-run charities manage it through declared-interest procedures.
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 ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY.
Side by side with its peers
Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.