THE CENTRE FOR LEBANESE STUDIES

Registered charity 298375 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · also known as CLS

To advance the education of the public by providing an educational establishment to further the study of and research into the historical, economic, geographic and cultural issues relating to and affecting the country of Lebanon and the Lebanese people.

Causes: Education/training · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£1.3m

Latest spending

£994k

Registered

1988

Accounts read

FY2024

Financial health, per its FY2024 accounts

The charity reported a surplus of $452,750 for the year ended 31 December 2024, with total reserves increasing to $540,357. Unrestricted reserves stood at $135,282, while the trustees confirmed that no material uncertainties exist regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern.

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

What the accounts disclose

Highest-paid employee band: $125,652 - $138,216 — above the 90th percentile for charities its size (median £70k)

“$125,652 - $138,216 / £100,001 - £110,000” — page 24

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Transfer to affiliated NGO

“During the year, transfers amounting to $553,383 (2023: $585,952) were paid to an affiliated NGO entity Education Dev. Center in Lebanon, established to hire local staff and enable CLS to fulfil its objectives.” — page 29

“During the year, donations amounting to $65,265 were received from four trustees (2023: two trustees amounting to $86,905).” — page 29

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Donations from trustees

“During the year, transfers amounting to $553,383 (2023: $585,952) were paid to an affiliated NGO entity Education Dev. Center in Lebanon, established to hire local staff and enable CLS to fulfil its objectives.” — page 29

“During the year, donations amounting to $65,265 were received from four trustees (2023: two trustees amounting to $86,905).” — page 29

Per its FY2024 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Wenn Townsend. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Top pay band moved from £100,001 - £110,000 (FY2023) to $125,652 - $138,216 (FY2024).

Comparing this charity’s FY2023 and FY2024 accounts as analysed by this site.

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

Total income

£1.3m

Total spending

£994k

Reserves (reported)

£106k

Employees

Reported reserves equal ~1.3 months of spending — in the bottom quarter for charities its size (median 4.8 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (89% 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: 0.0% of total income — below the median for charities its size (5.2%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Bassem Ziadechair
DALIA SALAAM RISHANI · trustee of 1 other charity
Edward Asseily
James Wilfrid Watt · trustee of 1 other charity

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

Operates in: Lebanon · Oxfordshire · Throughout London

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/12/2024	£1.3m	£994k
31/12/2023	£979k	£992k
31/12/2022	£915k	£1.3m
31/12/2021	£912k	£815k
31/12/2020	£801k	£685k

Common questions

Is THE CENTRE FOR LEBANESE STUDIES financially healthy?

Per its FY2024 accounts: The charity reported a surplus of $452,750 for the year ended 31 December 2024, with total reserves increasing to $540,357. Unrestricted reserves stood at $135,282, while the trustees confirmed that no material uncertainties exist regarding the charity's ability to continue as a going concern. Its FY2024 accounts were audited by Wenn Townsend.

What does the highest-paid employee of THE CENTRE FOR LEBANESE STUDIES earn?

Per its FY2024 accounts, the highest-paid employee was in the $125,652 - $138,216 band.

Who funds THE CENTRE FOR LEBANESE STUDIES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE CENTRE FOR LEBANESE STUDIES as a grant recipient include THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES, INTERNATIONAL ALERT.

Known funders

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

Funder	Year	Amount	Purpose (as stated by the funder)
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES	FY2024	£547k	Grants to institutions
INTERNATIONAL ALERT	FY2022	£19k

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 GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£4.6m
FRIENDS PROVIDENT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£95k
ALTAJIR TRUST	1	£35k
Alex Ferry Foundation	1	£20k
THE BARROW CADBURY TRUST	1	£5k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with THE CENTRE FOR GLOBAL STUDIES.

THE CENTRE FOR GLOBAL STUDIES income £95k
COUNCIL FOR BRITISH RESEARCH IN THE LEVANT income £766k
CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED income £1.2m
The English Language Centre income £6.8m
CENTRE FOR CITIES income £1.6m
THE CASE CENTRE LIMITED income £2.3m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE CENTRE FOR LEBANESE STUDIES	£1.3m	$125,652 - $138,216	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE CENTRE FOR GLOBAL STUDIES FY2025	£95k	—	0	below	—	noted
COUNCIL FOR BRITISH RESEARCH IN THE LEVANT FY2025	£766k	£70,001 - £80,000	1	unclear	—	no doubt
CENTRE FOR LOCAL ECONOMIC STRATEGIES LIMITED FY2025	£1.2m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
The English Language Centre FY2024	£6.8m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
CENTRE FOR CITIES FY2025	£1.6m	£120,001+	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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