---
title: "What is a good spending ratio for a charity?"
description: "A good spending ratio is proportionate for the charity’s size and model — not the lowest overhead available."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/good-spending-ratio
retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:25:51.464Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Charity finances

# What is a good spending ratio for a charity?

**In short:** A good spending ratio is proportionate for the charity’s size and model — not the lowest overhead available. Many well-run UK charities spend roughly 70–90% of expenditure on charitable activities (cause spend). Compare peers in the same cause, and read fundraising costs and reserves alongside the ratio.

Data from [CharityCompare editorial](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026.

Donors asking for a “good spending ratio” usually want assurance that money reaches the frontline. The filing metric to use is **cause spend**: charitable activities divided by total expenditure.

A common band for established UK charities is **about 70–90%**. Outside that range, ask whether the model explains it (grant-maker, shops, heavy public fundraising, volunteer-led) and whether the trustees’ report explains the year.

Chasing the lowest admin figure creates the starvation cycle. On CharityCompare, Financial Efficiency is capped at **20 of 100** Clarity Score points so ratios cannot dominate. See [charity admin costs UK](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/charity-admin-costs-explained).

## Related questions

- [→ Are charity CEO salaries too high?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/charity-ceo-pay)
- [→ What is a good admin cost ratio for a charity?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/good-admin-ratio)
- [→ How much should I donate to charity?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/how-much-should-i-donate)
- [→ What is the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/restricted-vs-unrestricted-funds)

Look up any UK charity's free Clarity Score from regulator filings.

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