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The Royal Institute of International Affairs

Charity rating & review

78/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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78 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Quick answer

Is The Royal Institute of International Affairs a good charity?

The Royal Institute of International Affairs scores 78/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£20m total income, 90% 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 · SW1Y 4LE Reg 208223 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Royal Institute of International Affairs do?

The Royal Institute of International Affairs is a registered charity (no. 208223) working in education across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 90% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 2 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable over recent years. 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 — The Royal Institute of International Affairs hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS scores 78 out of 100 (4 stars). 90% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

What is The Royal Institute of International Affairs?

The Royal Institute of International Affairs has a Clarity Score of 78 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 208223. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Education. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £20m, with 90% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 2 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

78/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

90%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£20m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

2 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£9.5 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 11% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS scores higher than.

Income band (£10m+)50thpercentile

Scores higher than 50% of 943 charities in its income band · 78/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

Education charities57thpercentile

Scores higher than 57% of 579 charities in this cause · 78/100 vs 74 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Royal Institute of International Affairs's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2025
Filing date
Profile reviewed

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, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

What is The Royal Institute of International Affairs'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

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
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% 11 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.

60/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

67% 2 months · 10/15 pts
Income stability / growth

+20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between.

50% 5/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

60% 23% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

100% 90% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 11p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

0% Not reported · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The Royal Institute of International Affairs's Clarity Score?

78/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
60/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

60/100

Reserves (months of cash)2 months · 10/15 pts
Income stability / growth5/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets23% · 3/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio90% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency11p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

How much does The Royal Institute of International Affairs raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £20m
Total expenditure £20m
Charitable activities £18m 89%
Fundraising £2.2m 11%
Governance & admin £144k 1%
89%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £20m spent

  • Charitable activities89%
  • Fundraising11%
  • Governance1%

What trust indicators does The Royal Institute of International Affairs have?

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

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

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

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 208223

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Juliet Scott Dryden since 2021
  • Joanna Helen Cound since 2022
  • David Nussbaum since 2022
  • Herbert Peter Swaniker since 2023
  • Alan Houmann since 2023
  • Robert Macaire since 2023
  • Bridget Kendall since 2024
  • Keith Darryl Harrington since 2024
  • Jessica Mary Cecil since 2024
  • Simon James Fraser Chair · since 2024
  • Bal Krishna Kochar since 2025
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 →

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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs's finances changed over five years?

£0k £6200k £12400k £18600k £24800k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £24,444k Spending 2021: £18,135k Cause spend 2021: £16,693k Income 2022: £23,235k Spending 2022: £19,158k Cause spend 2022: £17,713k Income 2023: £20,394k Spending 2023: £21,699k Cause spend 2023: £19,644k Income 2024: £21,535k Spending 2024: £23,462k Cause spend 2024: £21,123k Income 2025: £20,177k Spending 2025: £20,323k Cause spend 2025: £18,170k
  • 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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs?

Overall score
78/100 (4★)
Income
£20m
Cause spend
90% of expenditure
Reg number
208223
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
2 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS sits

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

Similar education charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The Royal Institute of International Affairs's rating?

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Royal Institute of International Affairs's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Royal Institute of International Affairs a good charity? +

The Royal Institute of International Affairs scores 78 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 90% 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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Royal Institute of International Affairs is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 208223). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/208223. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Royal Institute of International Affairs's charity number? +

The Royal Institute of International Affairs's charity number is 208223. 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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs's charity rating? +

The Royal Institute of International Affairs scores 78 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). 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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Royal Institute of International Affairs. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate.

How much of my donation reaches The Royal Institute of International Affairs? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 90% of The Royal Institute of International Affairs'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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 10% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 11% of total expenditure at The Royal Institute of International Affairs. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Royal Institute of International Affairs'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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs receive? +

The Royal Institute of International Affairs reported £20m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable.

Are The Royal Institute of International Affairs'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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs based? +

The Royal Institute of International Affairs is listed at London · UK-wide · SW1Y 4LE and operates UK-wide, focused on education.

How does CharityCompare score The Royal Institute of International Affairs? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Royal Institute of International Affairs'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 The Royal Institute of International Affairs's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.