THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF PHILOSOPHY

Registered charity 313834 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q7374331 · Wikipedia

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.

Objects

3.1 THE OBJECT IS TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE SUBJECT OF PHILOSOPHY BY: 3.1.1 ORGANISING AND PROMOTING THE TEACHING, DISCUSSION; AND RESEARCH IN THE SUBJECT OF PHILOSOPHICAL STUDIES; 3.1.2 PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY AND ANY SUBJECT COGNATE OR ALLIED TO THE STUDY OF PHILOSOPHY; 3.1.3 ARRANGING LECTURES, CLASS TEACHING, SEMINARS, PUBLIC MEETINGS, CONFERENCES AND DISCUSSIONS; 3.1.4 ESTABLISHING, CONTROLLING, MANAGING AND CARRYING ON COLLEGES, HALLS, SCHOOLS, LECTURE ROOMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDY AND RESEARCH; 3.1.5 ESTABLISHING AND AWARDING PROFESSORSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, LECTURESHIPS, READERSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS, EXHIBITIONS, PRIZES, GRANTING CERTIFICATES AND CONDUCTING EXAMINATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH PHILOSOPHICAL SUBJECTS. 3.1.6 PROMOTING AND UNDERTAKING SUCH OTHER ACTIVITIES WHICH PROMOTE THE OBJECT AND WHICH THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION DETERMINE.

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

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

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The charity reported a net decrease in funds of £105,212 for the year ended July 31, 2025, driven by total expenditure exceeding income. Total funds decreased to £1,514,520, with unrestricted reserves held in the General Fund at £267,875, which the trustees state is equivalent to approximately five months of unrestricted expenditure. The trustees consider there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). 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.

• Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
• Complaints handling
• Complaints policy and procedures
• Conflicting interests
• Financial reserves policy and procedures
• Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
• Investing charity funds policy and procedures
• Investment
• Risk management
• Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
• Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
• Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
• Trustee expenses policy and procedures

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.

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

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

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

Reported reserves equal ~34.9 months of spending — in the top quarter for charities its size (median 7.2 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 (3.2%) (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

Common questions

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 THE SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PHILOSOPHICAL ENQUIRY AND REFLECTION IN EDUCATION.

• THE SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PHILOSOPHICAL ENQUIRY AND REFLECTION IN EDUCATION income £266k
• THE PHILOSOPHY FOUNDATION income £206k
• THE PHILOLOGICAL SOCIETY income £89k
• THE INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH income £201k
• THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS income £20.2m
• SOCIETY FOR APPLIED PHILOSOPHY income £175k

Side by side with its peers

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