The British Council is incorporate by royal charter. We are an executive non-departmental public body, a public corporation (in accounting terms) and a charity.

How we are governed
Our Patron is HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Prince of Wales is our Vice-Patron.

The Charter invests the powers of the British Council in a Board of Trustees. As British Council trustees, Board members are guardians of our purpose and are ultimately accountable for the organisation. They meet six times a year.

Our executive direction is provided by Martin Davidson, our Chief Executive, with the support of an Executive Board.

Advisory committees
To assist us in the quality and independence of our thinking, the British Council can rely on the expert advice of three National Committees (for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and three Sector Advisory Groups for education and governance, English, and science and engineering. Members of these committees and groups serve in an advisory capacity and have no decision-making responsibilities.

The Advisory Board brings together the Trustees, Executive Board, the chairs of the advisory committees and other distinguished national and international figures. It supports the organisation by providing perceptions and insights into our work and the context in which we are, and will be, operating. It meets once a year.

Funding
Our turnover in 2006/07 was £551 million.

We earned the largest proportion of this (£232 million) from the sale of services (principally teaching English and administering examinations) and managing education and development contracts.

£189 million came to us in the form of a grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, with £7 million more in grants from other government departments.

The remainder was made up by agency funds (£122 million – paid out by us to, e.g., participants in the scholarship programmes we administer), sponsorship and matching funds and interest.