THE CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY

Charity overview
Activities - how the charity spends its money
The Contemporary Art Society is a national charity that encourages an appreciation and understanding of contemporary art in the UK. With the help of our members and supporters we raise funds to purchase works by new artists which we give to museums and public galleries across the UK where they are enjoyed by a national audience now and for the future.
Income and expenditure
Data for financial year ending 31 March 2024
Total income:
£1,490,339
Donations and legacies | £870.61k | |
Charitable activities | £422.58k | |
Other trading activities | £188.50k | |
Investments | £8.65k | |
Other | £0 |
Total expenditure:
£1,535,731
Raising funds | £184.49k | |
Charitable activities | £1.35m | |
Other | £0 |
£46,134 investments gains (losses)
Charitable expenditure
Charitable expenditure with investment gains
Charitable expenditure
Some charities generate all, or a substantial part, of their income from investments which may have been donated to the charity as endowment or set aside by the charity from its own resources in the past. Such investments usually take the form of stocks and shares but may include other assets, such as property, that are capable of generating income and/or capital growth.
In managing their spending and investments charities need to strike a balance between the needs of future and current beneficiaries. They also need to take account of spending commitments that may stretch over a number of future years. To do this, charities will normally adopt an investment strategy designed to generate both income and capital growth. To maximise returns trustees may commit to investment strategies for several years.
Investments can experience large swings in value so trustees may, in a particular year, decide to realise and spend part of their charity’s capital or to invest part of its income.
By clicking the investment gains checkbox the charitable spending bar is adjusted to take account of capital growth as well as income. This shows the balance the charity is striking, between spending on current beneficiaries and retaining resources for future beneficiaries.
Raising funds and other expenditure | £184.49k | |
Charitable expenditure | £1.35m |
Raising funds and other expenditure | £184.49k | |
Charitable expenditure | £1.35m | |
Retained for future use | £742 |
People

16 Employee(s)
21 Trustee(s)
Employees with total benefits over £60,000
Number of employees | |
---|---|
£60k to £70k | 3 |
£80k to £90k | 1 |
Fundraising
Trading
Trustee payments
What, who, how, where
- Education/training
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- Other Defined Groups
- The General Public/mankind
- Provides Services
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Acts As An Umbrella Or Resource Body
- Other Charitable Activities
- Northern Ireland
- Scotland
Governance
- 22 September 1962: Standard registration
No other names
- Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
- Complaints handling
- 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
- Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
- Trustee expenses policy and procedures
Trustees
Trustees are the people responsible for controlling the work, management and administration of the charity on behalf of its beneficiaries. Generally trustees are treasurer, chair, board member etc. The trustees are responsible for keeping this list up to date and can do this by updating their details as they happen through the online service
21 Trustee(s)
Name | Role | Date of appointment | Other trusteeships | Reporting status of other trusteeships | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Robert Suss | Chair | 01 January 2024 |
|
|
||||
Ruth Warder | Trustee | 01 October 2024 |
|
|
||||
Isabelle Henkell von Ribbentrop | Trustee | 01 October 2024 |
|
|
||||
Timothy Marlow OBE | Trustee | 18 June 2024 |
|
|
||||
Charlene Prempeh-Bonsu | Trustee | 18 June 2024 |
|
|
||||
James Robertson | Trustee | 29 April 2024 |
|
|
||||
Liesl Fichardt | Trustee | 24 April 2024 |
|
|
||||
Suling Mead | Trustee | 18 February 2023 |
|
|
||||
Ama Ofori-Darko | Trustee | 12 December 2022 |
|
|||||
Bianca Roden | Trustee | 27 April 2021 |
|
|||||
Francis Outred | Trustee | 02 January 2020 |
|
|
||||
Timothy Franks | Trustee | 03 December 2018 |
|
|
||||
John Shield | Trustee | 19 June 2018 |
|
|||||
Anna Yang | Trustee | 06 December 2017 |
|
|
||||
Nicola Blake | Trustee | 11 April 2017 |
|
|||||
Emma Goltz | Trustee | 12 December 2016 |
|
|||||
THE LADY BEATRICE LUPTON | Trustee | 01 October 2015 |
|
|
||||
Valeria Napoleone | Trustee | 17 March 2015 |
|
|
||||
CATHY WILLS | Trustee | 30 January 2012 |
|
|||||
KEITH MORRIS OBE | Trustee | 25 January 2012 |
|
|||||
TOMMASO CORVI-MORA | Trustee |
|
|
Financial history
Financial period end date
Income / Expenditure | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total gross income | £1.62m | £1.56m | £1.54m | £1.76m | £1.49m | |
|
Total expenditure | £1.51m | £1.48m | £1.39m | £1.69m | £1.54m | |
|
Income from government contracts | N/A | £6.15k | £16.36k | £55.45k | N/A | |
|
Income from government grants | N/A | £171.42k | N/A | £171.42k | N/A | |
|
Income - Donations and legacies | £805.49k | £965.16k | £808.90k | £1.15m | £870.61k | |
|
Income - Other trading activities | £341.21k | £90.44k | £188.24k | £0 | £188.50k | |
|
Income - Charitable activities | £473.14k | £504.18k | £540.97k | £510.44k | £422.58k | |
|
Income - Endowments | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Income - Investment | £1.38k | £1.41k | £981 | £3.77k | £8.65k | |
|
Income - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £96.63k | £0 | |
|
Income - Legacies | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Charitable activities | £1.28m | £1.31m | £1.22m | £1.57m | £1.35m | |
|
Expenditure - Raising funds | £227.50k | £174.97k | £164.33k | £127.38k | £184.49k | |
|
Expenditure - Governance | £29.51k | £28.86k | £36.32k | £27.80k | £59.38k | |
|
Expenditure - Grants institution | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Investment management | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Expenditure - Other | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
Assets and liabilities
Definitions for assets and liabilities
These are assets, other than investments, which are held for more than 12 months and used to run and administer the charity such as buildings, offices, exhibits and fixtures and fittings.
Long term InvestmentsInvestments are assets held by the charity with the sole aim of generating income which will be used for their charitable purposes such as deposit accounts, shares, rental property and unit trusts.
Investment assets are re-valued every year and included in the balance sheet at their current market value.
Long term investments are held for more than 12 months.
These are assets held generally for less than 12 months such as cash and bank balances, debtors, investments to be sold within the coming year and trading stock.
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liabilityThis is a surplus or deficit in any defined benefit pension scheme operated and represents a potential long-term asset or liability.
Total liabilitiesThese are all the amounts owed by the charity at the balance sheet date to third parties such as bills due but not yet paid, bank overdrafts and loans and mortgages.
Asset / Liability | 31/03/2020 | 31/03/2021 | 31/03/2022 | 31/03/2023 | 31/03/2024 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Own use assets | £952.88k | £1.18m | £895.94k | £865.76k | £839.80k | |
|
Long-term investments | £121.76k | £0 | £306.10k | £391.46k | £437.60k | |
|
Other assets | £1.01m | £929.60k | £1.05m | £946.24k | £1.05m | |
|
Defined benefit pension scheme asset or liability | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | |
|
Total liabilities | £381.32k | £297.44k | £274.44k | £173.06k | £298.87k |
Accounts and annual returns
Title | Reporting year | Date received | Received | Download |
---|---|---|---|---|
Annual return | 31 March 2024 | 23 December 2024 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2024 | 23 December 2024 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2023 | 21 December 2023 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2023 | 21 December 2023 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2022 | 21 December 2022 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2022 | 21 December 2022 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2021 | 14 December 2021 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2021 | 14 December 2021 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Annual return | 31 March 2020 | 18 December 2020 | On Time | |
Accounts and TAR | 31 March 2020 | 18 December 2020 | On Time | Download Open in new window |
Governing document
It is not the full text of the charity's governing document.
MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION ADOPTED 7 APRIL 1931 AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS DATED 14 JUNE 1962,1 JULY 1981, 7 SEPTEMBER 1994 AND 24 NOVEMBER 2008
Charitable objects
OBJECTS ARE, FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT, TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE THE EDUCATION IN, AND THE APPRECIATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND TO SECURE BY PURCHASE, GIFT, EXCHANGE, BEQUEST OR OTHERWISE CONTEMPORARY WORKS OF ART FOR PRESENTATION OR LOAN TO PUBLIC COLLECTIONS, MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES WHEREVER SITUATED
Area of benefit
NATIONAL AND OVERSEAS
Contact information
- Address:
-
CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY
59 CENTRAL STREET
LONDON
EC1V 3AF
- Phone:
- 02070178400
Tell us whether you accept cookies
We use cookies to collect information about how you use your Charity Commission Account, such as pages you visit.
We use this information to better understand how you use our website so that we can improve your user experience and present more relevant content.
Thank you for your feedback. Do you have 5 minutes to tell us what you think of this service?Open in new window