--- title: "Friends of the Nations' Libraries rating | CharityCompare" description: "Is Friends of the Nations" source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/friends-of-the-nations-libraries retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:51:06.251Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Friends of the Nations' Libraries a good charity? Friends of the Nations' Libraries scores 61/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£766k total income, 86% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown. Reading · UK-wide · RG8 9JA | Reg [313020](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/friends-of-the-nations-libraries) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.fnl.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/313020) Donate ## How can you give to Friends of the Nations' Libraries? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official Friends of the Nations' Libraries form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.fnl.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=313020) ## What does Friends of the Nations' Libraries do? Friends of the Nations' Libraries is a registered charity (no. 313020) working in arts & culture across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 86% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 89 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income changed sharply in 2021 (likely a merger, transfer or reporting change) — year-on-year trend labels are not meaningful across that step. CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes. Summarised from public filings — Friends of the Nations' Libraries hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=friends-of-the-nations-libraries) **In short:** Friends of the Nations' Libraries scores 61 out of 100 (3 stars). 86% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Friends of the Nations' Libraries? Friends of the Nations' Libraries has a Clarity Score of 61 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 313020. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Arts & culture. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £766k, with 86% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 89 months of operating costs. 1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 61/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 86% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 93/100 Finance beacon Income £766k Latest year 2024 Reserves 89 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £13.0 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 16% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does Friends of the Nations' Libraries compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers Friends of the Nations' Libraries scores higher than. Income band (£500k–£1m)12thpercentile **Scores higher than 12% of 2,187 charities in its income band** · 61/100 vs 79 peer average (marker). Arts & culture charities14thpercentile **Scores higher than 14% of 624 charities in this cause** · 61/100 vs 76 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Friends of the Nations' Libraries's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2024 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 High confidence — complete filing data Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: [Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), [Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and [Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/). [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ## What is Friends of the Nations' Libraries's Beacon report? Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report. ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 93/100 | 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, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 13 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 70% | 7/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 17/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 0% | 89 months · 0/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 0% | 0/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 5% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 95/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 90% | 86% · 9/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (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. 0/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 0% | Not reported · 0/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Friends of the Nations' Libraries's Clarity Score? 61/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 93/100 Accountability & Transparency 17/100 Financial Health 95/100 Financial Efficiency 0/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 93/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight13 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies7/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 17/100 Reserves (months of cash)89 months · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth0/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets5% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 95/100 Program expense ratio86% · 9/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency11p 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 ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts ## How much does Friends of the Nations' Libraries raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £766k | — | | Total expenditure | £753k | — | | Charitable activities | £675k | 90% | | Fundraising | £78k | 10% | | Governance & admin | £19k | 3% | 90%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £753k spent - Charitable activities90% · £675k - Fundraising10% · £78k - Governance3% · £19k ## What trust indicators does Friends of the Nations' Libraries have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - ✓ Accounts filed on time up to date · last filing 24 June 2026 - — Trustee board size (3–12) 13 trustees on the Charity Commission register Fundraising Regulator Status not yet checked Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice. [Check Fundraising Regulator →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 313020 Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission. [View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/313020) ### Trustees & officers - Charles Adam Laurie Sebag-Montefiore CBE - Professor RICHARD OVENDEN OBE since 2014 - Mr Geordie Greig Chair · since 2017 - Dr Jessica Pearsall Gardner since 2017 - Dr Amina Shah since 2021 - Tina Michelle Morton since 2023 - Dr Rhodri Llwyd Morgan since 2024 - Artemis Clare Antonia Cooper since 2024 - Professor Kathryn Sutherland since 2024 - Thomas William Ayling since 2025 - Anothy Colin Richard Davis since 2025 - STEPHEN PETER CLARKE since 2025 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. ## How have Friends of the Nations' Libraries's finances changed over five years? - Income - Spending - Cause spend Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts ## What are the key facts about Friends of the Nations' Libraries? Overall score 61/100 (3★) Income £766k Cause spend 86% of expenditure Reg number 313020 Scope UK-wide Reserves 89 months Trustees 13 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does Friends of the Nations' Libraries compare, and where else can you look? [Compare Friends of the Nations' Libraries with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=friends-of-the-nations-libraries) [More arts & culture charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where Friends of the Nations' Libraries sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [arts charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts) - [Charities in Reading](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/reading) - [arts charities in Reading](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/arts/reading) ### Similar arts & culture charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [HACKNEY QUEST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/hackney-quest) 100/100 · £827k - [COMMON WEALTH THEATRE LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/common-wealth-theatre-limited) 100/100 · £760k - [PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/pallant-house-gallery) 99/100 · £3.0m - [CREATE (ARTS) LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/create-arts-limited) 99/100 · £1.6m ## How can you share Friends of the Nations' Libraries's rating? Share: [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Friends%20of%20the%20Nations)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycompare.org.uk%2Fcharity%2Ffriends-of-the-nations-libraries)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycompare.org.uk%2Fcharity%2Ffriends-of-the-nations-libraries)[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Friends%20of%20the%20Nations) Copy link Print / save as PDFOpens a printer-friendly view of this profile for Friends of the Nations' Libraries. For this charity ## How do you add Friends of the Nations' Libraries's rating to your site? Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 61/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/friends-of-the-nations-libraries) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 61/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Friends of the Nations' Libraries have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Friends of the Nations' Libraries's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Friends of the Nations' Libraries a good charity? + Friends of the Nations' Libraries scores 61 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 86% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate. Is Friends of the Nations' Libraries a legitimate charity? + Yes — Friends of the Nations' Libraries is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 313020). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/313020. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Friends of the Nations' Libraries's charity number? + Friends of the Nations' Libraries's charity number is 313020. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals. What is Friends of the Nations' Libraries's charity rating? + Friends of the Nations' Libraries scores 61 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking. Does Friends of the Nations' Libraries have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Friends of the Nations' Libraries. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (1 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Friends of the Nations' Libraries? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 86% of Friends of the Nations' Libraries's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift. What are Friends of the Nations' Libraries's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 14% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 16% of total expenditure at Friends of the Nations' Libraries. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Friends of the Nations' Libraries's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register. How much income does Friends of the Nations' Libraries receive? + Friends of the Nations' Libraries reported £766k total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: restructured. Are Friends of the Nations' Libraries's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is Friends of the Nations' Libraries based? + Friends of the Nations' Libraries is listed at Reading · UK-wide · RG8 9JA and operates UK-wide, focused on arts & culture. How does CharityCompare score Friends of the Nations' Libraries? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Friends of the Nations' Libraries's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought. How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Friends of the Nations' Libraries's most recent accounts cover 2024. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.