--- title: "The Royal Society of Biology charity rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is The Royal Society of Biology a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 87/100. Accounts 2025: income £3.2m · 98% on charitable activities. Reg 277981." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-society-of-biology retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:37:51.567Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is The Royal Society of Biology a good charity? The Royal Society of Biology scores 87/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£3.2m total income, 98% 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 · W1W 7GB | Reg [277981](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-society-of-biology) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.rsb.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/277981) Donate ## How can you give to THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.rsb.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=277981) ## What does The Royal Society of Biology do? The Royal Society of Biology is a registered charity (no. 277981) working in environment across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 98% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 6 months of reserves, though its recent accounts were filed late. 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 Society of Biology hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-royal-society-of-biology) **In short:** THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY scores 87 out of 100 (4 stars). 98% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is The Royal Society of Biology? The Royal Society of Biology has a Clarity Score of 87 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 277981. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Environment. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £3.2m, with 98% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: late. Reserves: approximately 6 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 87/100 4★ · Good Cause spend 98% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 75/100 Finance beacon Income £3.2m Latest year 2025 Reserves 6 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing Late Check register £62.6 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 2% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: medium ## How does THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY scores higher than. Income band (£1m–£5m)75thpercentile **Scores higher than 75% of 2,776 charities in its income band** · 87/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). Environment charities80thpercentile **Scores higher than 80% of 460 charities in this cause** · 87/100 vs 76 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is The Royal Society of Biology's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 Medium confidence — some data missing or late 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 The Royal Society of Biology'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. 75/100 | 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. | 33% | 5/15 pts | | Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 14 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. 90/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 6 months · 15/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 90% | 9/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 60% | 24% · 3/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 98% · 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% | 2p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 150 volunteers / 40 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is The Royal Society of Biology's Clarity Score? 87/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 75/100 Accountability & Transparency 90/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 100/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 75/100 Filing history (5 years)5/15 pts Trustee oversight14 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 90/100 Reserves (months of cash)6 months · 15/15 pts Income stability / growth9/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets24% · 3/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 Program expense ratio98% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency2p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio150 volunteers / 40 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does The Royal Society of Biology raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £3.2m | — | | Total expenditure | £3.5m | — | | Charitable activities | £3.5m | 98% | | Fundraising | £54k | 2% | | Governance & admin | £52k | 1% | 98%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £3.5m spent - Charitable activities98% · £3.5m - Fundraising2% · £54k - Governance1% · £52k ## What trust indicators does The Royal Society of Biology have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - — Accounts filed on time Filing status: late - — Trustee board size (3–12) 14 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 40 employees · 150 volunteers (4:1 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 277981 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/277981) ### Trustees & officers - Dr Louise Leong since 2017 - Dr Jacqui Piner since 2019 - Professor Sara Louise Cosby since 2021 - Lucy Hudson since 2021 - Professor Stefan Przyborski FRSB since 2020 - Neil Burton since 2023 - Alastair Land since 2024 - Dr Helen Watson since 2024 - Professor Dame Melanie Welham Chair · since 2026 - Professor Jeremy Pritchard since 2024 - Professor Tim Coulson since 2025 - Professor Kalai Mathee since 2025 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 The Royal Society of Biology'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 The Royal Society of Biology? Overall score 87/100 (4★) Income £3.2m Cause spend 98% of expenditure Reg number 277981 Scope UK-wide Reserves 6 months Trustees 14 Accounts year 2025 Filing late ## How does THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY compare, and where else can you look? [Compare THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-royal-society-of-biology) [More environment charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/environment) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BIOLOGY 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 ## How can you share The Royal Society of Biology's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 87/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-society-of-biology) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 87/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does The Royal Society of Biology have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about The Royal Society of Biology's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is The Royal Society of Biology a good charity? + The Royal Society of Biology scores 87 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 98% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are late. 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 Society of Biology a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Royal Society of Biology is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 277981). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/277981. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is The Royal Society of Biology's charity number? + The Royal Society of Biology's charity number is 277981. 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 Society of Biology's charity rating? + The Royal Society of Biology scores 87 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 Society of Biology have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Royal Society of Biology. 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 The Royal Society of Biology? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 98% of The Royal Society of Biology'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 Society of Biology's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 2% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 2% of total expenditure at The Royal Society of Biology. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Royal Society of Biology'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 Society of Biology receive? + The Royal Society of Biology reported £3.2m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable. Are The Royal Society of Biology's accounts up to date? + Filing status: late (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is The Royal Society of Biology based? + The Royal Society of Biology is listed at London · UK-wide · W1W 7GB and operates UK-wide, focused on environment. How does CharityCompare score The Royal Society of Biology? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Royal Society of Biology'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 Society of Biology'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.