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The Zoological Society of London

London Charity No: 208728 (Charity Commission) Sign up to see website
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86
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
86/100 · methodology

About The Zoological Society of London

To achieve and promote the conservation of animals and their habitats.

Founded
Headquarters
London
Foundation type
Unincorporated Association
Size
large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

Fundraising Regulator since 2026

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 5 similar animal welfare in United Kingdom
Program spending This charity: 77%
Peer average: 74%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 86
Peer average: 86

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for Charity Commission removal, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every £1 goes

· FY2025 · Charity Commission (UK) (FY2025)
£0.77
Program£0.77
Fundraising£0.03
77% to programs beats the peer average (74%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, The Zoological Society of London has a partial profile, cross-referenced across 4 independent sources including the Charity Commission.

  • Established in 1963, it is among the oldest animal welfare charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks. View this cohort
  • By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 99% of the 1,967 animal welfare charities in the United Kingdom with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
  • Its integrity score of 86 places it in the top 1% of the 2,317 animal welfare charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its registration. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • third-party accreditation
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

The Zoological Society of London is a registered animal welfare nonprofit based in London, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 1963 and has been operating for 63 years. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds registration with the UK Fundraising Regulator, which means it has committed to the Code of Fundraising Practice and accountable fundraising standards. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 86/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £93M in annual revenue. 11 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected. The charity has 66 community reviews with an average rating of 2.2/5. On Trustpilot, it has a rating of 3.3/5 based on 66 reviews.

The Zoological Society of London's registered charity number is 208728. You can use it to look up the organization on the Charity Commission register.

The Zoological Society of London has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 86 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 77% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for animal welfare charities in United Kingdom is 86/100.

The Zoological Society of London is located in London, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 1963 and has been active for 63 years.

Based on official tax filings, The Zoological Society of London has £93M in annual revenue. It allocates 77% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with the average of 74% for animal welfare charities in United Kingdom. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of £623K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

The Zoological Society of London is classified as an Animal Welfare organization, registered in United Kingdom. It operates as an Unincorporated Association. By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has £93M in annual revenue. The organization has 11 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for The Zoological Society of London. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, The Zoological Society of London holds registration with the UK Fundraising Regulator, which means it has committed to the Code of Fundraising Practice and accountable fundraising standards. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It reports that 77% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 74%). The organization has a moderate Trustpilot rating of 3.3/5. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

To achieve and promote the conservation of animals and their habitats. The Zoological Society of London is classified as an animal welfare organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 1963.

Among animal welfare charities registered in United Kingdom: It allocates 77% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 74%. Its annual revenue of £93M is well above the peer average of £623K.

The Zoological Society of London is an unincorporated association, a group of people who agree to come together for a common charitable purpose. This is the simplest legal structure: it has no separate legal identity, so contracts and property must be held by individual trustees on behalf of the charity.

You can verify The Zoological Society of London in several ways. First, search the Charity Commission Register at https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/ - every charity registered in England and Wales appears here with its registration number, trustees, governing document, and filed accounts. Second, check whether the charity's annual return and accounts are up to date - the Commission flags charities with overdue filings. Third, look for the Fundraising Regulator badge on the charity's website, which signals voluntary compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice.

You can donate to The Zoological Society of London directly through its donation page (https://www.zsl.org/support-us/donate-to-zsl). UK charities typically accept online card payments, direct debit, and bank transfer. Many also use platforms such as JustGiving or Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). If you are a UK taxpayer, make sure to tick the Gift Aid box: it lets the charity reclaim 25p from HMRC for every pound you give at no extra cost to you. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim back the difference between basic-rate and their marginal rate through Self Assessment. Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn) lets you donate pre-tax through your employer.

Yes, The Zoological Society of London is registered with the Fundraising Regulator (FR), the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Registration means the charity has committed to following the Code of Fundraising Practice and the Fundraising Promise, which set standards for honest, respectful, and transparent fundraising. Donors can complain to the FR if they believe a charity has breached the Code.

Donations to The Zoological Society of London are eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK income-tax or capital-gains-tax payer. Gift Aid adds 25% to your donation at no cost to you (the charity reclaims basic-rate tax from HMRC). Higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers can also claim back the difference through Self Assessment or by adjusting their PAYE tax code. Gifts of shares, property, or land to charity are free of Capital Gains Tax and can be deducted from your income for Income Tax purposes. Legacy gifts (in your will) reduce the value of your estate for Inheritance Tax and can lower the IHT rate from 40% to 36% if you leave at least 10% to charity.

The Zoological Society of London is based in London. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.

The Zoological Society of London was first registered in 1963, making it approximately 63 years old. UK charities must file an annual return with the Charity Commission to remain on the register. A long registration history generally indicates sustained operations and continuous regulatory compliance.

Annual revenue
£10M-£100M
77% to programs
Source: Charity Commission (UK) (FY2025) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from Charity Commission (UK) (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2025, FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

UK donations qualify for Gift Aid. THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON is registered with the Charity Commission. Eligible UK taxpayers can boost their gift by 25% at no extra cost.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Leadership

From FY2025 filing

AL
Alexander R•••••• B••••• L••••
Trustee

Officers & trustees (11)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

11 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
£92.7M revenue
FY2025
Charity Commission (UK)
Form filed
£83.3M revenue
FY2024
Charity Commission (UK)
Form filed
£79.4M revenue
FY2023
Charity Commission (UK)
Form filed
£79.5M revenue
FY2022
Charity Commission (UK)
Form filed
£58.8M revenue
FY2021
Charity Commission (UK)

Donor reviews (66)

2.2 / 5 average · includes imported Trustpilot

2.2
66 reviews
5
13
4
4
3
2
2
10
1
37
★★★★★ london zoo

My Son and I have been going for the last couple of years, we have a season ticket that makes it very cheep, like £6 per trip. we've made friends with some of the keepers and follow the animals. fantastic fun if you have small children

nathan Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Totally Incompetent

This review is about the ZSL shop.I ordered 2 items to be sent directly to the recipient as a Christmas present. After receiving an email stating my order had been dispatched, I received a message from PayPal indicating the main item had been refunded. So I contacted ZSL who blamed their computer for the error and said an email communication was due to be on the way to me. The postage I paid cost more than the item in my order that has been sent. Dreadful customer service.

Sylvia Hawkes Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
★★★★★ London Zoo

Excellent day out!

Amber31 Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Just plainly incompetent

Just plainly incompetent. Still waiting on my refund from TWO MONTHS AGO!

Edward Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
★★★★★ Great day out for the whole family.

Great day out for the whole family.Lovely surroundings, lots of space to run around.

Val Curtis Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Their Computer System is Useless...

The zoos themselves are great. My main gripe is with their online website. Basically it is unusable. Several times I have signed up under a different account, changing my email and password: and each time I have tried to log back in, their system refuses to recognise my new details.Basically means I cant use them. I cannot purchase from them, book tickets or do anything else.So I just had to give up in the end. They need to get their computer system sorted. It is totally haphazard and unreliable. It's a shame because I could have been a customer of theirs.

SusieSusie Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Unfair member policy

They have separate pools for member tickets. During lockdown it was like you can't get free tickets for next 1-2 weeks, but you can pay for a full ticket.So you already paid for a maximal membership, but you can't use it. Very disappointing. In my case I spent more money for membership than I could have spent for tickets, and I wasn't able to use it - so it was better to pay full price than buy membership.

Anton Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Shameful and a rip off

Shameful and a rip off, how they’ve been allowed to get away with this all under the umbrella excuse of Covid, needs investigating. £60 to see a cow a deer and a pig, apparently the supporter contact coordinator? emailed me when I complained told me that it was all on the website, I’m still looking. I understand certain thing could be restricted, but ‘everything’ come on? It was empty, everything closed but yet they still felt that the £60 was worth it. Support more honourable Zoos as these clowns believe it’s lawful and acceptable to display nothing and not provide a refund or a complimentary visit, when they’re actually fully up and running. I know of no other place where this would be accepted.

Evesham Customer Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Million times NO NO NO

Been there today and very disappointed. Our favorite playground is closed for everyone apart from GOLD MEMBERS. absolutely ridiculous, seems like gold members can't have covid and are fine with playing next to each other. Many places are still closed and zoo is not ready to be open yet,so don't waste your time and money.

Ellie Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot
Family day out at London Zoo on 23rd…

Family day out at London Zoo on 23rd May 2021. We were there for five hours and didn’t see a Tiger, Lion or Gorilla!!! Two tiny fish in a massive aquarium!!! Travelled from Harrogate to take the grandchildren as we had not seen them due to Covid 19.Entry cost £121.12 plus £14.5O car park free.Terrible time…🐯🦁🙈🐠

David James Donor · Mar 26, 2026 Trustpilot Trustpilot

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Cause areas in United Kingdom

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Education 87,646
Health 28,382
Religion 22,146
Arts & Culture 21,802
Community Development 10,738
Environment 5,683
Social Services 4,899
Youth Development 4,637
Animal Welfare this charity 2,316
See all cause areas in United Kingdom

Most common causes in United Kingdom

Causes charities work on most.

Education 54,780
Arts & Culture 17,729
Disability 17,106
Religion 16,671
Health 15,045
Poverty 14,062
Community Development 11,486
Cultural Heritage 8,526

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities
Financial filings
Charity Commission annual returns - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities - 11 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Donor reviews (external)
Trustpilot consumer reviews
Community reviews (verified email)
GiveRadar Community Reviews - 66 verified review(s) on file.

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 17, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 17, 2026
Profile completeness
75%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 8
  • Financial data · FY2025 on record
  • Named leadership · 11 officers on file
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1963
Not available · 3
  • Executive pay
    Top-officer pay not disclosed
  • Mission statement
    No self-published statement of purpose
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about The Zoological Society of London

What is The Zoological Society of London?
The Zoological Society of London is a animal welfare unincorporated association based in London, United Kingdom. To achieve and promote the conservation of animals and their habitats.
When was The Zoological Society of London founded?
The Zoological Society of London was founded in 1963.
Where is The Zoological Society of London located?
Headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
What is The Zoological Society of London's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately £10M-£100M. 77% of expenses go to program services.
Is The Zoological Society of London trustworthy?
The Zoological Society of London has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is The Zoological Society of London's website?
https://www.zsl.org
Are donations to The Zoological Society of London tax-deductible?
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.