THE INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

Registered charity 306371 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register · Wikidata: Q6040210 · Wikipedia · also known as IDS

The Institute of Development Studies is a leading global institution for development research, teaching and learning, and impact and communications, based at the University of Sussex. IDS hosts numerous research clusters and postgraduate courses and a host of web-based knowledge services.

Objects

THE OBJECTS FOR WHICH THE INSTITUTE IS ESTABLISHED ARE THE ADVANCEMENT OF EDUCATION AND LEARNING IN DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTING BEST PRACTICE IN DEVELOPMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC BY:-(A) THE CONDUCT, PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH; (B) TEACHING AND TRAINING;(C) ASSISTING GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER POLICY MAKERS AND PRACTITIONERS BY PROVIDING EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, RESOURCES AND INFORMATION TO FACILITATE THE GROWTH OF LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CAPACITY IN DEVELOPMENT;"DEVELOPMENT" MEANS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CHANGE WHICH HELPS TO ERADICATE POVERTY AND SOCIAL INJUSTICE.

Area of benefit: NOT DEFINED

The charity’s charitable objects and area of benefit, quoted from its governing document as held on the Charity Commission register.

Causes: Education/training · The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty · Human Rights/religious Or Racial Harmony/equality Or Diversity · website · Get email alerts

Registered contact address: Brighton and Hove, South East, England (from the postcode on the register)

Latest income

£23.4m

Latest spending

£26.9m

Registered

1966

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that the charity reported an unrestricted deficit of £3.7m for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total free reserves of £4.7m. This level of unrestricted reserves is explicitly stated to be below the charity's own policy target of a minimum £6m. The Trustees attribute the financial pressure to UK Government aid cuts, reduced student numbers, and increased costs, anticipating a difficult year ahead before returning to a break-even position.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves position: below the charity's own stated reserves policy

“Total general reserves as at 31 March 2025 were £4.7m. The level of the unrestricted reserves are currently below the minimum level.” — page 26

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Going concern: noted by the trustees or auditor

“IDS had a difficult year financially in 2024/25 with continued uncertainly around funding, student numbers and increased costs. The Institute decreased its general reserve by £3.3m with total free reserves of £4.7m at the year end. We expect there to be ongoing impacts due to the funding pressure and pressure on student numbers.” — page 27

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Payments to trustees: Trustees who are employees received remuneration. Aggregate emoluments of Trustees who are also employees were £0.3m.

“The Trustees received no remuneration for their services as Trustees. In accordance with Clause 4 of the Memorandum of Association, Trustees who are also employees received remuneration for their services as employees. The aggregate emoluments of those Trustees who are also employees of the Institute were £0.3m” — page 43

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: University of Sussex

“In the past year, IDS paid £0.9m (2024 - £0.9m) to the University of Sussex for services provided to the Institute,and received £3.4m (2024- £4.0m) from the University in respect of tuition fees and other income.” — page 51

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts audited by Crowe U.K. LLP. Discloses 4 of 6 completeness components.

Year-over-year changes

Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "above" (FY2024) to "below" (FY2025).
Going concern: no going-concern doubt (FY2024) → going-concern doubt noted (FY2025).

Comparing this charity’s FY2024 and FY2025 accounts as analysed by this site.

Policies the charity declares

In its annual return the charity told the Commission that it has the policies listed below. This is self-declared: it is not verified by the Commission or by this site, and it is not evidence of how a policy works in practice.

Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
Complaints policy and procedures
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
Safeguarding policy and procedures
Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
Social media policy and procedures
Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
Trustee expenses policy and procedures

From the charity’s annual return (Part A, self-declared)

Answers and figures the charity gave in Part A of its annual return to the Charity Commission. They are self-declared: not verified by the Commission or by this site. Only positive answers and figures are listed; items not listed are simply not shown.

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2025

Government income: £5,701,130 — contracts £2,688,052 (12), grants £3,013,078 (12); 24% of the £23,363,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 58 (£60,001–£70,000: 24; £70,001–£80,000: 18; £80,001–£90,000: 1; £90,001–£100,000: 1; £100,001–£110,000: 4; £110,001–£120,000: 6; £120,001–£130,000: 2; £140,001–£150,000: 2)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2024

Government income: £9,822,044 — contracts £3,123,346 (6), grants £6,698,698 (25); 37% of the £26,261,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 55 (£60,001–£70,000: 23; £70,001–£80,000: 15; £80,001–£90,000: 5; £90,001–£100,000: 6; £100,001–£110,000: 3; £110,001–£120,000: 1; £120,001–£130,000: 1; £150,001–£200,000: 1)

Self-declared on the annual return for the financial year ending 31/03/2023

Government income: £10,921,208 — contracts £2,464,497 (7), grants £8,456,711 (12); 34% of the £31,762,000 total gross income on the same return
Employees paid over £60,000: 41 (£60,001–£70,000: 19; £70,001–£80,000: 9; £80,001–£90,000: 6; £90,001–£100,000: 2; £100,001–£110,000: 2; £110,001–£120,000: 2; £140,001–£150,000: 1)
Trustee benefits, answered Yes to: any trustee benefit

Source: this charity’s annual returns on the Charity Commission register.

In the news

Recent coverage mentioning this charity by name (automated match; headlines belong to their publishers).

UK’s Institute of Development Studies considering job cuts, director says devex.com · 19/08/2026
The Institute of Development Studies at 60: the historian’s perspective ids.ac.uk · 07/07/2026
Institute of Development Studies gets third director in three years researchprofessionalnews.com · 07/01/2026
Professor Anuradha Joshi appointed Director of the Institute of Development Studies ids.ac.uk · 07/01/2026
Professor Peter Taylor appointed Director of the Institute of Development Studies ids.ac.uk · 08/01/2025
Lawrence Haddad, director, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, and president, UK and Ireland's Development Studies Association theguardian.com · 31/05/2012

Corporate structure

Registered company of the charity Companies House 00877338

Funders the charity credits

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

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) — “The initiative is funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).” (source page)

Company officers (Companies House)

Current officers of the charity’s own company per the Companies House register, cross-checked against the Charity Commission trustee list by name. A director not on the trustee list is usually a timing or naming difference between the two registers — check both records before drawing conclusions.

LIND, Jeremy — director, appointed 01/08/2025on trustee list
ZABAKHIDZE, Mariam — director, appointed 01/08/2025on trustee list
BELLAMY, Michael Charles — director, appointed 01/02/2025on trustee list
ROSENEIL, Sasha, Dr — director, appointed 01/09/2022on trustee list
BARTON, Tamsyn Sherlle, Dr — director, appointed 01/08/2021on trustee list
ARYEETEY, Ernest — director, appointed 01/08/2021on trustee list
OCAMPO GAVIRIA, Jose Antonio — director, appointed 01/08/2021not on trustee list
NAYYAR, Deepak, Professor — director, appointed 31/07/2020on trustee list
ABLO, Awo — director, appointed 04/12/2019on trustee list
CLAYTON, Jenny Natasha — director, appointed 01/11/2019on trustee list
CATHERALL, Timothy — secretary, appointed 10/11/2017

Official officers record.

Property (HM Land Registry)

1 registered title in England and Wales held by the charity’s company or corporate body (0 freehold). All charity-held property. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)

Total income

£23.4m

Total spending

£26.9m

Cost of raising funds

£69k

Reserves (reported)

£5.3m

Employees

250

Reported reserves equal ~2.3 months of spending — below the median for charities its size (median 4.6 months; benchmarks).

Per its annual return, largest income source: Charitable activities (84% 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: 0.3% of total income — below the median for charities its size (3.7%) (benchmarks).

Trustees · trustee networks

Professor Deepak Nayyarchair
Awo Ablo
Dr Sasha Roseneil
Ernest Aryeetey
Jenny Natasha Clayton · trustee of 1 other charity
Jeremy Lind
Jose Antonio Ocampo Gaviria
Mariam Zabakhidze
Michael Charles Bellamy · trustee of 1 other charity
Professor Anuradha Joshi
Tamsyn Barton

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

Operates in: Brighton And Hove

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£23.4m	£26.9m
31/03/2024	£26.3m	£29.8m
31/03/2023	£31.8m	£31.9m
31/03/2022	£29.2m	£29.7m
31/03/2021	£31.4m	£28.1m

Common questions

Is THE INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity reported an unrestricted deficit of £3.7m for the year ended 31 March 2025, resulting in total free reserves of £4.7m. This level of unrestricted reserves is explicitly stated to be below the charity's own policy target of a minimum £6m. The Trustees attribute the financial pressure to UK Government aid cuts, reduced student numbers, and increased costs, anticipating a difficult year ahead before returning to a break-even position. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Crowe U.K. LLP.

Who funds THE INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES?

Funders whose own accounts filings name THE INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES as a grant recipient include THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES, WORLD VISION UK, ELRHA, GLOBAL DIALOGUE, INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.

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	FY2025	£1.8m	Challenge Led Research
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES	FY2022	£604k
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES	FY2021	£570k	Grants to institutions
THE BRITISH ACADEMY FOR THE PROMOTION OF HISTORICAL PHILOSOPHICAL AND PHILOLOGICAL STUDIES	FY2023	£279k	Fellowships and research awards
WORLD VISION UK	FY2021	£164k	Overseas programme support
ELRHA	FY2025	£124k	Strengthening the social and behavioural science evidence base for mpox in Africa
GLOBAL DIALOGUE	FY2023	£81k	Hosting - Funders' Initiative for Civil Society
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT	FY2025	£38k	Payments to collaborating organisations
ELRHA	FY2022	£30k
GLOBAL DIALOGUE	FY2024	£18k	Funders' Initiative for Civil Society
GLOBAL DIALOGUE	FY2025	£271	Ariadne

Government & lottery funding

Grants to this charity published as open data by government and lottery funders (360Giving).

Funder	Date	Amount	Purpose
UK government	08/05/2023	£65k	Disability Inclusive Sustainable Global Development Networking awards Cohort Coordinator
UK government	24/04/2023	£39k	Open Access Block Award 2023 - Institute of Development Studies
UK government	19/10/2022	£129k	The Great Green Wall and Sahelian Environmental Imaginaries - Green Fix and the persistence of a Policy Idea
UK government	17/10/2022	£66k	The Living Roots Project: Building a community asset and research consortium in Ealing, West London to address health equity
UK government	15/09/2022	£11k	Breeding for coffee and cocoa root resilience in low input farming systems based on improved rootstocks (BOLERO)
UK government	18/05/2022	£23k	AHRC DCMS Fellowship - Sofya Shahab
UK government	06/04/2022	£108k	Building Back Better from Below
UK government	14/12/2021	£26k	The ESRC STEPS Centre's Legacy Initiative: Future Natures
UK government	29/11/2021	£126k	Innovation and Complentary Capabilities for Vaccines
UK government	01/04/2020	£100k	Syrian Cultural Heritage Project
UK government	05/03/2020	£169k	Towards Brown Gold: Reimagining off-grid sanitation in rapidly urbanising areas in Asia and Africa
UK government	03/03/2020	£126k	Reimagining Infrastructure: how is marginalised people's food and nutrition security shaped by a continuum of urban infrastructure assemblages
UK government	30/09/2019	£77k	Islands of innovation in protracted crises: a new approach to building equitable resilience from below
UK government	28/06/2019	£465k	Sustaining Power: Women's struggles against contemporary backlash in South Asia
UK government	01/04/2018	£3.0m	Freedom Of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for inclusive, interdependent and diverse societies
UK government	01/04/2018	£2.1m	Partnership with the Institute of Development Studies ( IDS)

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 NUFFIELD FOUNDATION	1	£4.6m
JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION	1	£355k
PRISM THE GIFT FUND	1	£166k
FOUNDATIONS - WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES	1	£135k
THE HEALTH FOUNDATION	1	£117k
ANTI-SLAVERY INTERNATIONAL	1	£98k
THE OVO CHARITABLE FOUNDATION	1	£37k
MOYNITRUST	1	£20k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT income £32.5m
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES ASSOCIATION income £212k
INSTITUTE FOR EMPLOYMENT STUDIES income £4.1m
THE INSTITUTE FOR FISCAL STUDIES income £13.1m
THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES income £31.6m
INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE PHILANTHROPY income £421k

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT STUDIES	£23.4m	—	—	below	—	noted
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT FY2025	£32.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES ASSOCIATION FY2026	£212k	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
INSTITUTE FOR EMPLOYMENT STUDIES FY2025	£4.1m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
THE INSTITUTE FOR FISCAL STUDIES FY2025	£13.1m	£160,001 - £170,000	36	above	—	no doubt
THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES FY2025	£31.6m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt

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