Royal Institute of Navigation

Analysis

Royal Institute of Navigation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in December 2006, 20 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it provides services, provides advocacy/advice/information and other charitable activities.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Royal Institute of Navigation reported income of £734k and spending of £753k, spending 103% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £432k to £734k (+70%), an average of +14% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2024, when income rose by 49%. Over the whole period it spent 97% 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, Royal Institute of Navigation sits at the 94th percentile: it is larger than about 94% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Norton Priory Museum Trust Limited (£734k), The Leeds Library (£735k) and Newlyn Art Gallery Limited (£734k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 65%, donations and legacies 29% and investments 6.2%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £900. Charitable activities took 88% of spending and raising funds 9.8%. Reserves of £438k would cover about 7 months of spending at that rate. It employed 4 people.