The Royal College of Organists

Analysis

The Royal College of Organists is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Hampshire. It was registered in February 1966, 60 years ago. Its declared purposes cover general charitable purposes, education/training, religious activities and arts/culture/heritage/science, which this site groups under religion. It says it makes grants to individuals, makes grants to organisations and provides services.

In the financial year ending June 2025, The Royal College of Organists reported income of £523k and spending of £742k, spending 142% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from June 2021 to June 2025, income fell from £671k to £523k (-22%), an average of -6.0% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to June 2022, when income dropped by 36%. Over the whole period it spent 119% of the income it received.

Among 20,496 England and Wales charities whose main cause is religion and that reported income, The Royal College of Organists sits at the 93rd percentile: it is larger than about 93% 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 South West Peninsula Methodist District (£523k), Mission India (£523k) and Alyn Mission Area (£523k).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 56%, donations and legacies 26% and investments 18%. Gifts in wills alone brought in £26k. Charitable activities took 90% of spending and raising funds 8.2%. Grants to other organisations totalled £18k. Reserves of £3.2m would cover about 51 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.