The RSPCA’s income rose slightly from £140.9m to £142.0m, after a £4m increase in legacies, according to its most recent accounts.
According to the charity’s accounts for the year to December 2018, legacy income rose from £77.1m to £81.4m, equating to a more significant 57 per cent of the charity’s total income.
Donations fell slightly for the second year running from £41.9m to £41.2m – roughly 29 per cent of the charity’s income.
The accounts also show that the RSPCA is holding more than £233m in funds, including an £89.6m free reserve.
Fund balances carried forward were £233.2m, a decrease of almost £7m on the start of the year. But this means the charity has still has about 20 months’ income on the balance sheet, and seven and a half months of reserves.
Other key facts:
The charity received 565 complaints about its fundraising, up from 411 the previous year, with 323 of these relating to door-to-door fundraising
The charity paid out £335,000 in redundancies, down from £493,000 the previous year
The highest paid individual earned between £220,000 and £230,000 for the year.
The charity’s number of full-time equivalent employees rose from 1,560 to 1,605.
Governance overhaul
In January, RSPCA announced its plans to half the size of its board, introduce term limits and set up a committee to improve the relationship between the central organisation and its branches.
Paul Draycott, the charity’s chair, wrote in a foreword to the accounts that the charity “must be ready to adapt, innovate and collaborate with others to continue to advance our mission”.
Draycott, who was appointed last year, said: “Change is a constant in all organisations and the Society is no different. In 2018 we embarked on the most significant changes to our governance since 1974.
“If agreed at our AGM in June 2019, the society will have a slimmed down board, a new committee to represent our branches, and will have term limits for all national trustees.
“Our governance arrangements will be reflective of the very best practice within the charity sector and I want to thank my council colleagues for the ambition they have showed in instigating these much needed reforms.”
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