Royal Institute of British Architects

Analysis

Royal Institute of British Architects is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in 66 Portland Place. It was registered in August 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science and environment/conservation/heritage, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. It says it provides advocacy/advice/information.

In the financial year ending December 2025, Royal Institute of British Architects reported income of £32.4m and spending of £33.2m, spending 102% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £21.0m to £32.4m (+54%), an average of +11% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2023, when income rose by 15%. Over the whole period it spent 116% 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 British Architects sits at the 100th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 100th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Shakespeare Globe Trust (£31.5m), The Faraday Institution (£33.3m) and Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation (£31.0m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 54%, investments 29%, trading 14% and donations and legacies 2.1%. Charitable activities took 85% of spending and raising funds 13%. Reserves of £401.6m would cover about 143 months of spending at that rate. It employed 270 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.