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Rating for THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY

77/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

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77/100

Clarity score

Good

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London · UK-wide · EC2A 3NH Reg 269425 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY is a registered UK charity (269425) working in children & youth 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: THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY scores 77 out of 100 (3 stars). 93% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY has a Clarity Score of 77 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 269425. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £95m, with 93% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 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

77/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

93%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£95m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

1 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£53.2 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 2% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
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

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY
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.

57/100

Financial Health metrics for THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY
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.

47% 1 months · 7/15 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% 36% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 93% · 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% 2p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

0% 913 volunteers / 2265 staff · 0/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

77/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
57/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight14 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

57/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets36% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio93% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency2p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio913 volunteers / 2265 staff · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £95m
Total expenditure £94m
Charitable activities £92m 98%
Fundraising £1.5m 2%
Governance & admin £294k 0%
98%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £94m spent

  • Charitable activities98%
  • Fundraising2%
  • Governance0%

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 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    14 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    2265 employees · 913 volunteers (0:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Not listed as member

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 269425

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Dr Stephen John Ladyman Chair · since 2021
  • Olga Frances Clayton since 2021
  • Hooman Eskisi Wordsworth since 2022
  • John Hilton Roscoe since 2022
  • Pamela Marie Marsden since 2023
  • Sian Angharad Jackson since 2025
  • Kerrie Ann Nash since 2025
  • Marc Theo Hommel since 2025
  • Tracey Ann Bowen-Lowe since 2025
  • Andrew Mark Warren since 2026
  • Charlotte Lucy Walker since 2026
  • James Roach since 2026
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.

Full methodology →

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

£0k £30800k £61600k £92400k £123200k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £95,457k Spending 2021: £93,531k Cause spend 2021: £92,064k Income 2022: £95,633k Spending 2022: £94,834k Cause spend 2022: £93,457k Income 2023: £99,142k Spending 2023: £123,043k Cause spend 2023: £101,529k Income 2024: £95,410k Spending 2024: £96,162k Cause spend 2024: £94,393k Income 2025: £102,017k Spending 2025: £97,555k Cause spend 2025: £95,739k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
77/100 (3★)
Income
£95m
Cause spend
93% of expenditure
Reg number
269425
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
1 months
Trustees
14
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY's charity rating? +

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY scores 77 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). 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 THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 269425. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY's registration number is 269425. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/269425

How much income does THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY receive? +

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY reported £95m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 93% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 2% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 2%.

Are THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY based? +

THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY is listed at London · UK-wide · EC2A 3NH and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY? +

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 THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY? +

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 THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.