THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY

Registered charity 313834 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

We are devoted to creating, sharing and enabling philosophical thinking. We empower the curious of all ages and backgrounds to think about fundamental questions. We encourage a better understanding of our world and our place in it.. We look to actively support this work through grant giving programmes and a series of public lectures across the UK, encouraging positive access for many.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · Recreation · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£469k

Latest spending

£565k

Registered

1963

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that total funds decreased to £1,514,520 from £1,619,732 in the prior year, driven by a net expenditure of £105,212 which included an unrealised investment loss. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £267,875 are equivalent to approximately five months of unrestricted expenditure, while the designated Core Activities Reserve Fund stands at £1,240,394. The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme and has no disclosed pension deficits or trading subsidiaries.

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: £268k; policy: three years)

“The General Fund value of £267,875 is equivalent to approximately 5 months of unrestricted expenditure.” — page 17

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Four trustees were reimbursed £853 for travel during the year (2024: Nil). There were no related party transactions in the year.

“Four trustees were reimbursed £853 for travel during the year (2024: Nil). There were no related party transactions in the year.” — page 32

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/07/2024)

Total income

£576k

Total spending

£555k

Reserves (reported)

£1.6m

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~34.9 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.0 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (49% 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 (2.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

DR Sarah Sawyer
Dr Constantinos Sandis
Dr David Edmonds
Dr James Wilson
Dr Lea Cecile Salje
Dr Rachel Wiseman
Dr SARAH BETH LORD
Professor Ben Andrew Colburn
Professor Hallvard Lillehammer
Professor Lucy O'Brien
Professor Susan James · trustee of 1 other charity

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

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

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/07/2025	£469k	£565k
31/07/2024	£576k	£555k
31/07/2023	£495k	£515k
31/07/2022	£449k	£525k
31/07/2021	£471k	£389k

Common questions

Is THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that total funds decreased to £1,514,520 from £1,619,732 in the prior year, driven by a net expenditure of £105,212 which included an unrealised investment loss. Per the trustees' report, unrestricted reserves of £267,875 are equivalent to approximately five months of unrestricted expenditure, while the designated Core Activities Reserve Fund stands at £1,240,394. The charity operates a defined contribution pension scheme and has no disclosed pension deficits or trading subsidiaries. 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.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	2	£584k
THE MAURICE WOHL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£1.4m
FITZGERALD FAMILY FOUNDATION	1	£275k
THE MCBAIN FAMILY FOUNDATION	1	£220k
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	1	£214k
KUSUMA TRUST UK	1	£195k
THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION	1	£170k
THE HEALTH FOUNDATION	1	£150k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN.

THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN income £9.8m
THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS income £20.2m
GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF CREATIVE THINKING LIMITED income £830k
CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY income £988k
THE INSTITUTE FOR PHILANTHROPY income £244k
RINA CHARITABLE TRUST income £336k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY	£469k	—	0	below	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN FY2025	£9.8m	—	—	below	—	noted
THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS FY2025	£20.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF CREATIVE THINKING LIMITED FY2024	£830k	—	0	below	—	noted
CAMBRIDGE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY FY2024	£988k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE INSTITUTE FOR PHILANTHROPY FY2025	£244k	—	—	below	—	no doubt

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