The Royal National Theatre Foundation
Analysis
The Royal National Theatre Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in August 1976, 50 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, the prevention or relief of poverty and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under poverty relief. It says it makes grants to individuals and makes grants to organisations.
In the financial year ending March 2025, The Royal National Theatre Foundation reported income of £394k and spending of £727k, spending 184% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £579k to £394k (-32%), an average of -9.2% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2022, when income rose by 124%. Over the whole period it spent 210% of the income it received.
Among 15,276 England and Wales charities whose main cause is poverty relief and that reported income, The Royal National Theatre Foundation sits at the 85th percentile: it is larger than about 85% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 88th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Porch (£394k), Speke Garston Minibus Agency (£395k) and Manarat Foundation (£394k).
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.
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Other 100%
In the charity's own words
The education of the public in the art of drama and the promotion of their appreciation of classical and modern drama in all its artistic forms at the Royal National Theatre (the NT"); the relief of past or present employees of the NT who are in necessitous circumstances; as ancilliary to the above objects, to support the NT in its aims to further the appreciation of classical and modern drama.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Porch | Oxford | £394k |
| Speke Garston Minibus Agency | Garston | £395k |
| Manarat Foundation | Birmingham | £394k |
| Debmar Benevolent Trust Limited | Salford | £396k |