ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Registered charity 1088537 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as ACADEMY OF LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, THE ACADEMY, THE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

The voice of the social sciences in the UK for the public benefit. We exist to promote the social sciences in the UK for the public benefit. We share knowledge and understanding of the social sciences and how they benefit society; we encourage evidence-led social science input to policy; and we recognise excellence through the award of Fellowship.

Causes: Education/training · Arts/culture/heritage/science · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£775k

Latest spending

£728k

Registered

2001

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The accounts state that the charity ended the year with a modest positive outturn and unrestricted general fund reserves of £286,269, which the trustees consider sufficient against funding risks. The trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for the next twelve months.

Automated summary of the FY2024 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: £90,001 - £100,000 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £60k)

“One employee had emoluments within the range of £90,000 - £100,000.” — page 34

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Employees paid over £60,000: 1

“One employee had emoluments within the range of £90,000 - £100,000.” — page 34

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Largest income source: Member subscriptions (45% of income)

“The major income sources are shown in Figure 1, with member subscriptions comprising 45% of total income and around 90% of the unrestricted income.”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Reserves policy: a minimum of 50% of annual expenditure (held: £286k)

“The Academy will continue to maintain sufficient reserves (a minimum of 50% of annual expenditure) against the significant risks in its funding environment”

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 6 of 6 completeness components.

Funders the charity credits

Named as funders/supporters on the charity’s own website (the charity’s claim, distinct from accounts-verified grants).

Campaign Sponsors — “core funded by member subscriptions and Campaign sponsorship.” (source page)

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/12/2024)

Total income

£775k

Total spending

£728k

Cost of raising funds

£21k

Reserves (reported)

£301k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~5.0 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 5.2 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Donations and legacies (93% of income) — components as reported reconcile to the return’s total income; not from the accounts narrative.

Per its annual return, cost of raising funds: 2.7% of total income — below the median for charities its size (4.9%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

William Nicholas Huttonchair
Dr Heather Kathryn Rolfe
Dr Megan Louise Lawson
Dr Utsa Mukherjee
Professor Christina Boswell
Professor Christopher Millward · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Ian Rivers · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Imogen Elizabeth Tyler
Professor Jackline Wahba
Professor Janet Marion Boddy
Professor John Peter Scott CBE
Professor Kavita Vedhara
Professor Linda Bauld · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Lisa Anderson
Professor Nicholas David Vaughan-Williams
Professor Patricia Dodd
Professor Richard Black · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Sara Lindsey Carter
Professor Simin Davoudi · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Timothy John Blackman

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Northern Ireland · Scotland · Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£775k	£728k
31/12/2023	£702k	£644k
31/12/2022	£605k	£757k
31/12/2021	£617k	£630k
31/12/2020	£725k	£538k

Common questions

Is ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The accounts state that the charity ended the year with a modest positive outturn and unrestricted general fund reserves of £286,269, which the trustees consider sufficient against funding risks. The trustees confirmed there are no material uncertainties regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern for the next twelve months. Its FY2024 accounts were independently examined.

What does the highest-paid employee of ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the £90,001 - £100,000 band, and 1 employees earned over £60,000.

Who funds ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES as a grant recipient include World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Foundation, THE SKINNER'S SCHOOL FOUNDATION.

Known funders

Grants to this charity found in funders’ own accounts filings.

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Foundation	FY2024	£146k	Charitable Activities
THE SKINNER'S SCHOOL FOUNDATION	FY2025	£42k	Grants for depreciation of property
THE SKINNER'S SCHOOL FOUNDATION	FY2025	£12k	Grants to Academy — Harris Fund

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE SINO-BRITISH FELLOWSHIP TRUST	2	£445k
THE MAURICE WOHL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£1.4m
THE JULIA RAUSING TRUST	1	£1.4m
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	1	£518k
THE BRITISH INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AT ANKARA	1	£72k
BRITISH ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE ASSOCIATION	1	£32k
THE JOHN S COHEN FOUNDATION	1	£18k
DEVELOPMENTS IN LITERACY UK (UK)	1	£10k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES.

THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES income £106.2m
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON FOR IMPROVING NATURAL KNOWLEDGE (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ROYAL SOCIETY) income £157.6m
THE SOCIAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION income £690k
THE LEARNED SOCIETY OF WALES income £736k
BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE income £712k
ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY income £2.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES	£775k	£90,001 - £100,000	1	above	—	no doubt
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES FY2025	£106.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON FOR IMPROVING NATURAL KNOWLEDGE (COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE ROYAL SOCIETY) FY2025	£157.6m	—	52	above	—	no doubt
THE SOCIAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FY2025	£690k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
THE LEARNED SOCIETY OF WALES FY2025	£736k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
BRITISH SOCIETY OF SOIL SCIENCE FY2024	£712k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.