Cancer · Reg 1089464
Rating for Cancer Research UK
95/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Exceptional
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Mission
Cancer Research UK is a registered UK charity (1089464) working in cancer across the United Kingdom. CharityCompare scores the organisation from public Charity Commission annual accounts — financial efficiency, transparency, and filing compliance — not programme outcomes.
In short: Cancer Research UK scores 95 out of 100 (4 stars). 84% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
Cancer Research UK has a Clarity Score of 95 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 1089464. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Cancer. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £681m, with 84% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.
Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .
Overall score
95/100
4★ · Great
Cause spend
84%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£681m
Latest year 2024
Reserves
3 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£8.1 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 16% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high
Data & confidence
- Source
- Charity Commission (E&W)
- Accounts year
- 2024
- Filing date
- 2024-12-01
- Profile reviewed
- 2026-06-24
High confidence — complete filing data
Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.
Beacon report
Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.
Accountability & Transparency
Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts |
| Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag). | 100% | 14 trustees · 15/15 pts |
| Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 100% | 10/10 pts |
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
83/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 3 months · 15/15 pts |
| Income stability / growth Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts. | 0% | 35% · 0/5 pts |
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Program expense ratio ≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts. | 100% | 84% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) |
| Fundraising efficiency Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 12p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) |
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteer-to-staff ratio More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts. | 100% | 38,000 volunteers / 4200 staff · 10/10 pts |
Clarity Score
95/100 total · Exceptional · 4 of 4 stars
Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.
Accountability & Transparency
Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.
100/100
Financial Health
Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.
83/100
Financial Efficiency
How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.
100/100
Community Support
Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.
100/100
Revenue & expenses
Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £681m | — |
| Total expenditure | £652m | — |
| Charitable activities | £545m | 84% |
| Fundraising | £85m | 13% |
| Governance & admin | £22m | 3% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2024) · £652m spent
- Charitable activities84% · £545m
- Fundraising13% · £85m
- Governance3% · £22m
Trust indicators
Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.
-
Accounts filed on time
up to date · last filing 2024-12-01
-
Trustee board size (3–12)
14 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
4200 employees · 38,000 volunteers (9:1 volunteer-to-staff)
Fundraising Regulator
Status not yet checked
Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Check Fundraising Regulator →Official register
Reg 1089464
Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.
View on Charity Commission →How we score charities +
The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.
Accountability & Transparency
Scored from filings
40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).
Financial Health
Scored from filings
30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).
Financial Efficiency
Scored from filings
20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.
Community Support
Scored from filings
10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.
Overall score
Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).
Five-year trends
- Income
- Spending
- Cause spend
Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts
Key facts
- Overall score
- 95/100 (4★)
- Income
- £681m
- Cause spend
- 84% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 1089464
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 3 months
- Trustees
- 14
- Accounts year
- 2024
- Filing
- up to date
Compare & explore
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- Christie Charity 95/100 · £45m
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Cancer Research UK's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is Cancer Research UK's charity rating? +
Cancer Research UK scores 95 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Exceptional). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).
Is Cancer Research UK a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — Cancer Research UK is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 1089464. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is Cancer Research UK's Charity Commission registration number? +
Cancer Research UK's registration number is 1089464. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1089464
How much income does Cancer Research UK receive? +
Cancer Research UK reported £681m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: growing.
What percentage of Cancer Research UK's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 84% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 13% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 16%.
Are Cancer Research UK's accounts up to date? +
Filing status: up to date (last filing 2024-12-01). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.
Where is Cancer Research UK based? +
Cancer Research UK is listed at London · UK-wide · WC2A 3PX and operates UK-wide, focused on cancer.
How does CharityCompare score Cancer Research UK? +
We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.
Does CharityCompare recommend donating to Cancer Research UK? +
No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.
How can I compare Cancer Research UK with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put Cancer Research UK side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.