Overall GiG Score: 9 ?
Finance Score: -5
Governance Score: 5
Support Score: 9
  • Accounts filed more than 5 days late: -2 times
  • Spending declining: -1
  • Multiple Deficits and declines: -5
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • 12+ Trustees: -1
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Grant maker support: +9

THE BRITISH COUNCIL 

The British Council creates friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with. We reach millions of people across the world, working with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • There are 15 trustees whereas the Charities Commission recommends a maximum of 12

Financial issues to consider:

  • Accounts have been filed late on 2 occasions over the last 5 years and the current period appears to have been extended
  • Spending is declining
  • Income has been volatile and on several occasions in recent years less than spending
Established: 61 years

www.britishcouncil.org

CEO.Office@britishcouncil.org

(0)161 957 7755

Charity Commission for England and WalesFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/03/23*£873,335£925,159£-51,824£37£401,753£294,7713.89,2090
31/03/22£896,656£942,311£-45,655£44£447,469£341,0984.39,8610
31/03/21*£924,965£1,015,114£-90,149£69£332,570£239,6512.811,1310
31/03/20£1,288,717£1,295,819£-7,103£45£404,585£326,129311,5230
31/03/19£1,249,532£1,219,658£29,874£204£387,895£318,5293.110,9630
31/03/18£1,172,340£1,166,848£5,492£21£351,515£280,7222.910,6770
31/03/17£1,076,893£1,085,934£-9,041£714£362,995£293,0653.210,5960
31/03/16£979,639£986,938£-7,299£560£348,943£278,2353.49,6240
31/03/15£972,877£975,863£-2,986£7,139£371,290£299,0963.78,7080
31/03/14*£864,289£880,410£-16,121£6,237£356,697£294,80648,0450
31/03/13£781,289£785,333£-4,044£6,262£371,636£309,1914.77,3340
31/03/12£738,502£720,413£18,089£6,878£357,277£305,3135.16,8360
31/03/11£692,963£665,321£27,642£6,092£331,146£331,14667,0280
31/03/10£704,530£708,083£-3,553£6,304£226,800£226,8003.87,3770
31/03/09£644,824£621,579£23,245£5,651£231,397£231,3974.57,4840
31/03/08£564,587£557,403£7,185£3,110£128,472£128,4722.87,3950
31/03/07£551,065£545,689£5,376£2,293£119,677£119,6772.67,9250
31/03/06£517,493£508,854£8,639£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/05*£473,337£478,215£-4,878£0£0£0n/a00
31/03/04*£473,345£477,259£-3,914£0£0£0n/a00

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 0%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 0%
Senior Staff Costs/Total Spending: 8%
Highest pay band: £200,000-£250,000
Liabilities/Assets: 59%
Liabilities/Income: 67%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 73%
Reserves/Spending: 3.8 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 1 months
Quick Ratio: 0.6
Asset Split ?
What it does
  • Arts/Culture/Heritage/Science
  • Education/Training
  • Other Charitable Purposes
  • Overseas Aid/Famine Relief
Who works here?
  • 9,209 employees
Who it helps
  • The General Public/Mankind
How it operates
  • Acts as an umbrella or resource body
  • Makes Grants to Individuals
  • Makes Grants to Organisations
  • Other charitable activities
  • Provides services
Where it operates
  • Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia And Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo (Democratic Republic), Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, ....more

Who's supporting them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following significant donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
DCMS£13,965,553
Department for International Development£1,653,382
Department for Education£372,259
Pears Foundation£150,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
DCMS - British Council Cultural Protection Fund
£2,498,083 01/04/2021
The outcomes of the Cultural Protection Fund are cultural heritage protection, training and capacity building and advocacy and education.
Pears Foundation - Grant to British Council - Occupied Palestinian Territories Office
£150,000 21/06/2020
36
HESPAL scholarships scheme
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£153,622 01/04/2020
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages) .
DCMS - Our Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH)
£37,500 31/03/2020
Our Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£42,850 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£18,813 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£14,447 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£46,166 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£13,657 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£12,741 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£17,795 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£20,399 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£21,364 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for Education - Learned Scholarships Administration
£10,404 01/04/2019
To recruit high quality graduates into teaching priority subjects (maths; physics; chemistry; computing; geography and languages)
Department for International Development - Improving citizens' engagement on issues of public interest
£242,177 01/04/2019
Good Governance Fund - Supporting Economic and Governance Reform in Serbia
Department for International Development - PLANE - Accelerated Learning
£1,010,861 01/04/2019
Partnership for Learning for All in Nigerian Education - PLANE
Department for International Development - Strategic Research on Mother Tongue impacting learning outcomes in Ethiopia Education systems especially for disadvantaged learners
£174,235 01/04/2019
Strategic Research Fund
Department for International Development - Support to Third Party Organisations including British Council for UKaid Scholarships and Repoa for research and policy advocacy
£226,110 01/04/2019
Strengthening Public Financial Management in Tanzania
DCMS - Next Generation 2.0 / Generate
£20,000 01/04/2019
I am writing to offer you a grant of up to £20,000 towards the costs of leading and managing Generate; the joint programme between the British Council and Arts Council England. Up to 12 emerging and ....more
DCMS - CED UK 2019-20
£60,000 01/04/2019
I am writing to offer you a grant of up to £60,000 towards the ongoing funding of the Creative Europe Desk for England: a service which offers advice and support to UK cultural organisations wanting ....more
DCMS - Gulf Integrated Activity Fund Culture and Sport Programme
£2,129,970 01/04/2019
A soft power initiative to be delivered across the GCC, designed to encourage youth participation in Culture and Sports activities particularly targeting young women and girls
DCMS - British Council Cultural Protection Fund
£9,220,000 01/04/2019
The outcomes of the Cultural Protection Fund are cultural heritage protection, training and capacity building and advocacy and education.
The Baring Foundation - Grant to British Council
£60,000 17/10/2018
To support partnership work and artist exchange on arts and older people in North East Asia and the UK.
Department for International Development - Support to improve democratic representation and social accountability in Zambia Funds managed by the supplier
£339,735 01/04/2018
Zambia Accountability Programme
Department for International Development - Support to Third Party Organisations including British Council for UKaid Scholarships and Repoa for research and policy advocacy
£304,547 01/04/2018
Strengthening Public Financial Management in Tanzania
DCMS - Gulf Integrated Activity Fund Culture and Sport Programme
£2,347,200 01/04/2018
A soft power initiative to be delivered across the GCC, designed to encourage youth participation in Culture and Sports activities particularly targeting young women and girls
DCMS - Creative Europe desk England 2018
£60,000 01/04/2018
Creative Europe desk England 2018
DCMS - British Council Cultural Protection Fund
£9,350,000 01/04/2018
The outcomes of the Cultural Protection Fund are cultural heritage protection, training and capacity building and advocacy and education.
The Baring Foundation - Grant to British Council
£2,500 11/12/2017
To increase participation at the arts and older people's exchange in Taiwan.
Comic Relief - Our Common Goal: Addressing Gender Based Violence through Football
£149,372 29/11/2017
36
High levels of poverty, poor housing conditions and lack of access to services in Likuni and Mtandire, peri-urban settlements of Malawi's capital city, significantly hamper the healthy development of ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to British Council
£1,000,000 31/10/2017
60
BIRAX Ageing Initiative
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Cerdd Iaith/ Listening to Language: Music inspiring rich language learning in Welsh schools
£80,000 02/08/2017
12
This grant will support continued training for teachers in using music to teach modern foreign languages in the primary-school classroom.
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Grant to British Council
£940,500 28/06/2017
Our Shared Cultural Heritage (OSCH)
The Baring Foundation - Grant to British Council
£50,320 20/06/2017
For partnership work on arts and older people in North East Asia region.
Comic Relief - International Enterprise Programme
£100,000 25/01/2017
24
This pilot project, co-funded by the Premier League, the British Council and Sport Relief aims to adapt the UK Premier League Enterprise initiative to test out the model in an overseas context in ....more
Pears Foundation - Grant to British Council - Palestinian Territories
£13,345 28/06/2016
1
Hespal Orientation Pilot Propsal
Paul Hamlyn Foundation - Music and poetry: inspiring rich language learning in Welsh schools
£111,000 23/05/2016
12
We believe that learning through music is a powerful way to inspire and enhance children's language learning. We believe that sharing musical and artistic traditions between cultures develops ....more
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (15)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split
Based on 14/15 persons

Legal constitution
  • Charity registered in England & Wales on 03/01/1963, number: 209131
Gift Aid
  • Registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Investing charity funds policy and procedures
  • Investment
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR23: 50 days late, AR21: 59 days late, AR14: 1 days late, AR05: 15 days late, AR04: 1 days late,
Main office

1 Redman Place
Stratford
London
United Kingdom
E20 1JQ

Objectives

THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE BRITISH COUNCIL IS ESTABLISHED AND INCORPORATED ARE TO ADVANCE, FOR THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, ANY PURPOSE WHICH IS EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE AND WHICH SHALL:(A) PROMOTE CULTURAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER COUNTRIES;(B) DEVELOP A WIDER KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE; AND(C) ENCOURAGE EDUCATIONAL CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER COUNTRIES, SUPPORT THE ADVANCEMENT OF UNITED KINGDOM EDUCATION AND EDUCATION STANDARDS OVERSEAS, AND OTHERWISE PROMOTE EDUCATION.

Defined Area of Benefit:

NOT DEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving
CharityBase
Authorised officials of this charity can add information to this page (including a Donate Now button) for no cost

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