--- title: "Mercy in Action — charity rating & review | CharityCompare" description: "Is Mercy in Action a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 66/100. Accounts 2024: income £5.8m · 26% on charitable activities. Reg 1096068." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/mercy-in-action retrieved: 2026-08-18T03:58:47.781Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Mercy in Action a good charity? Mercy in Action scores 66/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£5.8m total income, 26% 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. Bath · UK-wide · BA2 8SF | Reg [1096068](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/mercy-in-action) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.mercyinaction.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1096068) Donate ## How can you give to MERCY IN ACTION? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official MERCY IN ACTION form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.mercyinaction.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1096068) ## What does Mercy in Action do? Mercy in Action is a registered charity (no. 1096068) working in international aid across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 26% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 month of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈21% a year). 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 — Mercy in Action hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=mercy-in-action) **In short:** MERCY IN ACTION scores 66 out of 100 (3 stars). 26% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Mercy in Action? Mercy in Action has a Clarity Score of 66 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1096068. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: International aid. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £5.8m, with 26% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 month 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 66/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 26% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £5.8m Latest year 2024 Reserves 1 mo 1 month of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £1.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 75% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does MERCY IN ACTION compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers MERCY IN ACTION scores higher than. Income band (£5m–£10m)17thpercentile **Scores higher than 17% of 619 charities in its income band** · 66/100 vs 78 peer average (marker). International aid charities23rdpercentile **Scores higher than 23% of 618 charities in this cause** · 66/100 vs 75 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Mercy in Action'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 Mercy in Action'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. 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, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 5 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. 53/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 33% | 1 month · 5/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 20% | 48% · 1/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 0/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 0% | 26% · 0/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 0% | 77p per £1 income · 0/10 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 Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 376 volunteers / 189 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Mercy in Action's Clarity Score? 66/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 100/100 Accountability & Transparency 53/100 Financial Health 0/100 Financial Efficiency 100/100 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 oversight5 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 53/100 Reserves (months of cash)1 month · 5/15 pts Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets48% · 1/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 0/100 Program expense ratio26% · 0/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency77p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio376 volunteers / 189 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does Mercy in Action raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £5.8m | — | | Total expenditure | £5.8m | — | | Charitable activities | £1.2m | 20% | | Fundraising | £4.6m | 80% | | Governance & admin | £20k | 0% | 20%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £5.8m spent - Charitable activities20% · £1.2m - Fundraising80% · £4.6m - Governance0% · £20k ## What trust indicators does Mercy in Action 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) 5 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 189 employees · 376 volunteers (2:1 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 →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 1096068 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/1096068) ### Trustees & officers - Hilary Jane Law since 2021 - FRANK CLARK since 2021 - Rhian Day since 2024 - Lesley Mcallister since 2025 - David Day Chair · since 2026 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 Mercy in Action'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 Mercy in Action? Overall score 66/100 (3★) Income £5.8m Cause spend 26% of expenditure Reg number 1096068 Scope UK-wide Reserves 1 month Trustees 5 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does MERCY IN ACTION compare, and where else can you look? [Compare MERCY IN ACTION with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=mercy-in-action) [More international aid charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/international) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where MERCY IN ACTION sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [international charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/international) - [poverty charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/poverty) - [homelessness charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/homelessness) - [religion charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/religion) - [Charities in Bath](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/bath) ### Similar international aid charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [THE ZAHRA TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-zahra-trust) 100/100 · £5.9m - [ORISON CHARITABLE TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/orison-charitable-trust) 100/100 · £2.8m - [HELP THE NEEDY CHARITABLE TRUST](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/help-the-needy-charitable-trust) 100/100 · £2.6m - [MAJLIS ANSARULLAH (UK) LTD](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/majlis-ansarullah-uk-ltd) 100/100 · £1.9m ## How can you share Mercy in Action's rating? 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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 66/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/mercy-in-action) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 66/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Mercy in Action have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Mercy in Action's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Mercy in Action a good charity? + Mercy in Action scores 66 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 26% 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 Mercy in Action a legitimate charity? + Yes — Mercy in Action is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1096068). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1096068. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Mercy in Action's charity number? + Mercy in Action's charity number is 1096068. 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 Mercy in Action's charity rating? + Mercy in Action scores 66 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 Mercy in Action have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Mercy in Action. 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 Mercy in Action? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 26% of Mercy in Action'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 Mercy in Action's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 74% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 75% of total expenditure at Mercy in Action. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Mercy in Action'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 Mercy in Action receive? + Mercy in Action reported £5.8m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are Mercy in Action'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 Mercy in Action based? + Mercy in Action is listed at Bath · UK-wide · BA2 8SF and operates UK-wide, focused on international aid. How does CharityCompare score Mercy in Action? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Mercy in Action'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 Mercy in Action'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.