The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution

Analysis

The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Oxford. It was registered in September 1963, 63 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty, accommodation/housing and other charitable purposes, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to individuals, provides other finance and provides services.

In the financial year ending December 2025, The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution reported income of £5.4m and spending of £8.9m, spending 166% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income fell from £6.3m to £5.4m (-15%), an average of -4.0% a year. Over the whole period it spent 145% of the income it received.

Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution sits at the 99th percentile: it is larger than about 99% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 98th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Kingsgate Community Church (£5.3m), Oxford Diocesan Council for Social Work Incorporated (£5.4m) and Cymunedau'n Ymlaen Mon Communities Forward (£5.2m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from donations and legacies 70%, investments 29% and trading 1.8%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £1.7m. Charitable activities took 68% of spending and raising funds 31%. Grants to other organisations totalled £28k. Reserves of £3.4m would cover about 4 months of spending at that rate. It employed 65 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.