Institute of Imagination

Analysis

Institute of Imagination is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in April 2005, 21 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 04921852). It says it other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Institute of Imagination reported income of £512k and spending of £528k, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £1.5m to £512k (-66%), an average of -24% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income dropped by 45%. Over the whole period it spent 95% of the income it received.

Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Institute of Imagination sits at the 92nd percentile: it is larger than about 92% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 90th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Queens Hall, Narberth (£512k), The Temple Music Foundation (£513k) and Arcangelo (£510k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 93% and charitable activities 1.9%. Charitable activities took 78% of spending and raising funds 20%. Reserves of £65k would cover about 1 months of spending at that rate. It employed 5 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.