---
title: "Royal Institute of British Archite… rating | CharityCompare"
description: "Is Royal Institute of British Architects a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 70/100. Accounts 2024: income £31m · 77% on charitable activities. Reg 210566."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-institute-of-british-architects
retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:37:14.677Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is Royal Institute of British Architects a good charity?

Royal Institute of British Architects scores 70/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£31m total income, 77% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

London · UK-wide · W1B 1AD |
Reg [210566](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-institute-of-british-architects) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.riba.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/210566)

Donate

## How can you give to ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.riba.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=210566)

## What does Royal Institute of British Architects do?

Royal Institute of British Architects is a registered charity (no. 210566) working in environment across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 77% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 157 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈10% a year). CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes.

Summarised from public filings — Royal Institute of British Architects hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=royal-institute-of-british-architects)

**In short:** ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS scores 70 out of 100 (3 stars). 77% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

## What is Royal Institute of British Architects?

Royal Institute of British Architects has a Clarity Score of 70 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 210566. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Environment. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £31m, with 77% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 157 months of operating costs. 1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026.

Overall score

70/100

3★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

77%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£31m

Latest year 2024

Reserves

157 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£4.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) ·
23% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS scores higher than.

Income band (£10m+)25thpercentile

**Scores higher than 25% of 943 charities in its income band** · 70/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Environment charities33rdpercentile

**Scores higher than 33% of 460 charities in this cause** · 70/100 vs 76 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is Royal Institute of British Architects's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2024

Filing date

24 June 2026

Profile reviewed

17 July 2026

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources:
[Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/),
[Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and
[Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/).
[Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/).

## What is Royal Institute of British Architects's Beacon report?

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

### Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts |
| Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 12 trustees · 15/15 pts |
| Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 100% | 10/10 pts |

### Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

50/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 0% | 157 months · 0/15 pts |
| Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 2% · 5/5 pts |

### Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

65/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 70% | 77% · 7/10 pts (3-year average) |
| Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 60% | 23p per £1 income · 6/10 pts (3-year average) |

### Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

20/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 20% | 120 volunteers / 256 staff · 2/10 pts |

[How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is Royal Institute of British Architects's Clarity Score?

70/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency

50/100

Financial Health

65/100

Financial Efficiency

20/100

Community Support

### Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts

Trustee oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts

Declared policies10/10 pts

### Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

50/100

Reserves (months of cash)157 months · 0/15 pts

Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets2% · 5/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

65/100

Program expense ratio77% · 7/10 pts (3-year average)

Fundraising efficiency23p per £1 income · 6/10 pts (3-year average)

### Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

20/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio120 volunteers / 256 staff · 2/10 pts

## How much does Royal Institute of British Architects raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £31m | — |
| Total expenditure | £33m | — |
| Charitable activities | £27m | 81% |
| Fundraising | £6.2m | 19% |
| Governance & admin | £1.0m | 3% |

81%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2024) · £33m spent

- Charitable activities81% · £27m
- Fundraising19% · £6.2m
- Governance3% · £1.0m

## What trust indicators does Royal Institute of British Architects have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

- ✓ Accounts filed on time

up to date · last filing 24 June 2026

- ✓ Trustee board size (3–12)

12 trustees on the Charity Commission register

- ✓ Workforce on register

256 employees · 120 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

[Check Fundraising Regulator →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/)

Official register

Reg 210566

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

[View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/210566)

### Trustees & officers

- Jack Brown Pringle Chair · since 2021
- Nicholas Andrew Benford since 2022
- Arch Sumita Singha OBE since 2022
- OluFemi Olugbenga Oresanya since 2023
- Thomas John Foggin since 2024
- Philip David Allsopp since 2024
- Christopher Andrew Williamson since 2025
- Manuel Nogueira since 2025
- Dr Ruffina Sharmilla Thilakaratne since 2025
- Paul Finch since 2026
- Guido Roberto Perricone since 2026
- Nicholas Brown since 2026

100
How we score charities
+The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

[Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below).

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated.

## How have Royal Institute of British Architects's finances changed over five years?

- Income
- Spending
- Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts

## What are the key facts about Royal Institute of British Architects?

Overall score

70/100 (3★)

Income

£31m

Cause spend

77% of expenditure

Reg number

210566

Scope

UK-wide

Reserves

157 months

Trustees

12

Accounts year

2024

Filing

up to date

## How does ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=royal-institute-of-british-architects) [More environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

- [environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment)
- [arts charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts)
- [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education)
- [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london)
- [environment charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment/london)

### Similar environment charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [ESSEX AND SUFFOLK RIVERS TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/essex-and-suffolk-rivers-trust) 100/100 · £963k
- [GREAT WESTERN SOCIETY LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/great-western-society-limited) 99/100 · £3.9m
- [THE MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY PRESERVATION TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-mid-norfolk-railway-preservation-trust) 99/100 · £2.5m
- [THE SHARPHAM TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-sharpham-trust) 99/100 · £2.2m

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## What red flags does Royal Institute of British Architects have?

## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Royal Institute of British Architects's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Royal Institute of British Architects a good charity? + Royal Institute of British Architects scores 70 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 77% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is Royal Institute of British Architects a legitimate charity? + Yes — Royal Institute of British Architects is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 210566). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/210566. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Royal Institute of British Architects's charity number? + Royal Institute of British Architects's charity number is 210566. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals.

What is Royal Institute of British Architects's charity rating? + Royal Institute of British Architects scores 70 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking.

Does Royal Institute of British Architects have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Royal Institute of British Architects. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches Royal Institute of British Architects? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 77% of Royal Institute of British Architects's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift.

What are Royal Institute of British Architects's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 20% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 23% of total expenditure at Royal Institute of British Architects. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Royal Institute of British Architects's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register.

How much income does Royal Institute of British Architects receive? + Royal Institute of British Architects reported £31m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are Royal Institute of British Architects's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is Royal Institute of British Architects based? + Royal Institute of British Architects is listed at London · UK-wide · W1B 1AD and operates UK-wide, focused on environment.

How does CharityCompare score Royal Institute of British Architects? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Royal Institute of British Architects's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought.

How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Royal Institute of British Architects's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.