Health · Reg 225971
Rating for British Heart Foundation
95/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score
Clarity score
Exceptional
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Mission
British Heart Foundation is a registered UK charity (225971) working in health 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: British Heart Foundation scores 95 out of 100 (4 stars). 83% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.
Overview
British Heart Foundation has a Clarity Score of 95 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 225971. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Health. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £310m, with 83% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 4 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
83%
3-yr avg · charitable activities
Accountability
100/100
Finance beacon
Income
£310m
Latest year 2024
Reserves
4 mo
Months of running costs
Accounts filing
On time
Charity Commission
£8.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 17% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high
Data & confidence
- Source
- Charity Commission (E&W)
- Accounts year
- 2024
- Filing date
- 2024-10-05
- 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% | 12 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% | 4 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% | 83% · 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% | 11p 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% | 9,500 volunteers / 1100 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 | £310m | — |
| Total expenditure | £295m | — |
| Charitable activities | £245m | 83% |
| Fundraising | £35m | 12% |
| Governance & admin | £15m | 5% |
Where the money goes
Latest accounts (2024) · £295m spent
- Charitable activities83% · £245m
- Fundraising12% · £35m
- Governance5% · £15m
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 2024-10-05
-
Trustee board size (3–12)
12 trustees on the Charity Commission register
-
Workforce on register
1100 employees · 9,500 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 225971
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
- £310m
- Cause spend
- 83% of expenditure
- Reg number
- 225971
- Scope
- UK-wide
- Reserves
- 4 months
- Trustees
- 12
- Accounts year
- 2024
- Filing
- up to date
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions about British Heart Foundation's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.
What is British Heart Foundation's charity rating? +
British Heart Foundation 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 British Heart Foundation a legitimate UK charity? +
Yes — British Heart Foundation is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 225971. You can verify the entry on the official register.
What is British Heart Foundation's Charity Commission registration number? +
British Heart Foundation's registration number is 225971. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/225971
How much income does British Heart Foundation receive? +
British Heart Foundation reported £310m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: growing.
What percentage of British Heart Foundation's spending goes to charitable activities? +
Approximately 83% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 12% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 17%.
Are British Heart Foundation's accounts up to date? +
Filing status: up to date (last filing 2024-10-05). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.
Where is British Heart Foundation based? +
British Heart Foundation is listed at London · UK-wide · NW1 7AW and operates UK-wide, focused on health.
How does CharityCompare score British Heart Foundation? +
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 British Heart Foundation? +
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 British Heart Foundation with other charities? +
Use our free compare tool to put British Heart Foundation side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.