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Methodology

How we rate charities

The Clarity Score V1 adds up to 100 points from UK Charity Commission filings — statutory inquiry sets the score to zero.

Four beacons

Assessed

Accountability & Transparency

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Assessed

Financial Health

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Assessed

Financial Efficiency

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Assessed

Community Support

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Score to stars

Score Stars Label
90+ ★★★★ Exceptional
75+ ★★★☆ Good
60+ ★★☆☆ Needs improvement
1+ ★☆☆☆ Poor
0+ ☆☆☆☆ Not rated

What we measure today

  • Accountability & Transparency (40 pts): five-year filing history, trustee count (≥3), safeguarding / conflict / volunteer policies.
  • Financial Health (30 pts): reserves (3–24 months ideal), three-year income trend, liabilities-to-assets.
  • Financial Efficiency (20 pts): program expense ratio and fundraising cost per £1 raised.
  • Community Support (10 pts): volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Policies & red flags

Statutory inquiry (kill switch)

If the Charity Commission has an open statutory inquiry, the charity scores 0/100 automatically with a regulatory warning banner — no pillar math is applied.

Red flags

Factual cards — statutory inquiry, fewer than three trustees, late filings, high fundraising spend, sharp income drops, very high reserves.

Give with Confidence

Score 75+ (3+ stars), no serious red flags, filings up to date, no statutory inquiry.

What we exclude

Scotland (OSCR) and Northern Ireland (CCNI) in v1. Charities under £100k income. Optional donor support never influences ratings.

Methodology changelog · Scoring guide

Common questions

What is the Clarity Score?

The Clarity Score is CharityCompare’s proprietary 0–100 rating from UK Charity Commission annual returns. Higher scores indicate stronger accountability, finance, and transparency signals from public filings.

Which pillars does the Clarity Score use?

Four pillars: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30 pts), Financial Efficiency (20 pts), and Community Support (10 pts). A statutory inquiry automatically scores 0/100.

Where does CharityCompare get its data?

Charity Commission annual returns and register entries for England and Wales charities. We do not use self-reported marketing claims or paid submissions.