The Royal Society

The Royal Society has stood for independence and integrity in science since its founding in 1660. Today it is the world’s oldest scientific academy, with an unparalleled reputation for its role in research and uniting the global voices of science. 2024, saw these qualities tested as science became increasingly politicised against a backdrop of misinformation and growing public concern. The Society faced media scrutiny as a high profile Fellowship sparked significant division across its membership and drew public attention to its governance processes. There was the need to reinforce the Royal Society’s credibility, uphold its values and reaffirm stakeholder trust in its core purpose.

What makes the Royal Society both impactful and sustainable is trust — and the way it translates that trust into public benefit — its independence from government, industry and ideology gives it authority unlike any other voice in science. Here, our review of the 2024 Trustees’ Report identified an organisation with a strong story to tell, but one that needed to be clearer, bolder, more explicit and anchored in its purpose and processes. We worked closely with the Society to reshape its reporting framework, advising on how to bring its motto – Nullius in verba, “take nobody’s word for it” – to life. Deeper cohesion and reporting transparency elevated their mission, vision and values to strengthen disclosures on Fellowship election and governance, placing ethics at the heart of the report’s structure, and amplifying their most valuable asset: credibility. Data, stories and visualisation were layered with precision to reframe the Society’s independence as its unique strength in an era of global volatility.

The result is the 2025 Annual Report, published under the strapline Standing up for Science. It moves beyond compliance to set a benchmark for excellence in charitable reporting. Where typical charity reports meet minimum disclosure, the Royal Society’s narrative acknowledges controversy, but does so with candour, turning potential weakness into proof of resilience. Governance processes are explained with clarity, the Career Pathway Tracker evidences decades of impact, and the strategy is tied directly to values of transparency, independence and excellence. The design, structure and tone reinforce the Society’s role as trusted custodian of science, and elevates one message placed at the heart of its story: credibility in science is earned through openness.

For the world’s oldest scientific academy, this was more than an annual report. It was a public reaffirmation of its independence and authority. By choosing transparency to confront challenge, the Royal Society created a reporting model that not only reinforces confidence among its Fellowship, it sets a new standard for what charitable reporting should be: sustainable, impactful and rooted in trust, with public benefit as the ultimate return.