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The Chellaram Foundation

Charity rating & review

73/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
73 /100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

Donate

Quick answer

Is The Chellaram Foundation a good charity?

The Chellaram Foundation scores 73/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£5.6m total income, 98% 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.

London · UK-wide · W1U 3BW Reg 1124939 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Chellaram Foundation do?

The Chellaram Foundation is a registered charity (no. 1124939) working in community across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 98% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 50 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income changed sharply in 2022 (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 — The Chellaram Foundation hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION scores 73 out of 100 (3 stars). 98% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

What is The Chellaram Foundation?

The Chellaram Foundation has a Clarity Score of 73 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1124939. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Community. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £5.6m, with 98% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 50 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, last updated .

Overall score

73/100

3★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

98%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£5.6m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

50 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£1360.6 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 0% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION scores higher than.

Income band (£5m–£10m)32ndpercentile

Scores higher than 32% of 619 charities in its income band · 73/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Community charities46thpercentile

Scores higher than 46% of 216 charities in this cause · 73/100 vs 72 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Chellaram Foundation's data?

Source
Charity Commission (England & Wales)
Accounts year
2025
Filing date
Profile reviewed

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, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Open Government Licence v3.0 .

What is The Chellaram Foundation'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

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION
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.

43/100

Financial Health metrics for THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION
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% 50 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.

80% 8/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt.

100% 0% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below.

100% 98% · 10/10 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% 0p 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 CHELLARAM FOUNDATION
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 →

What is The Chellaram Foundation's Clarity Score?

73/100 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
43/100
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 oversight5 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

43/100

Reserves (months of cash)50 months · 0/15 pts
Income stability / growth8/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets0% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio98% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency0p 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 The Chellaram Foundation raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £5.6m
Total expenditure £2.4m
Charitable activities £2.4m 99%
Fundraising £6k 0%
99%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £2.4m spent

  • Charitable activities99%
  • Fundraising0%
  • Other spending1%

What trust indicators does The Chellaram Foundation have?

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    5 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 →

Official register

Reg 1124939

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • LAL LOKUMAL CHELLARAM Chair · since 2008
  • SHOBHNA LAL CHELLARAM since 2011
  • SANKARASUBRAMANIAN SANKARA NARYANAN since 2011
  • LCF Trust Limited since 2017
  • Carole Cook since 2018
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 →

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 The Chellaram Foundation's finances changed over five years?

£0k £1500k £3000k £4500k £6000k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £198k Spending 2021: £238k Cause spend 2021: £0k Income 2022: £800k Spending 2022: £333k Cause spend 2022: £333k Income 2023: £5,051k Spending 2023: £463k Cause spend 2023: £448k Income 2024: £5,018k Spending 2024: £4,300k Cause spend 2024: £4,251k Income 2025: £5,610k Spending 2025: £2,389k Cause spend 2025: £2,357k
  • 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 The Chellaram Foundation?

Overall score
73/100 (3★)
Income
£5.6m
Cause spend
98% of expenditure
Reg number
1124939
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
50 months
Trustees
5
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where THE CHELLARAM FOUNDATION sits

The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby.

Similar community charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

How can you share The Chellaram Foundation's rating?

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How do you add The Chellaram Foundation's rating to your site?

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What red flags does The Chellaram Foundation have?

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about The Chellaram Foundation's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is The Chellaram Foundation a good charity? +

The Chellaram Foundation scores 73 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 98% 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 The Chellaram Foundation a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Chellaram Foundation is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1124939). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1124939. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Chellaram Foundation's charity number? +

The Chellaram Foundation's charity number is 1124939. 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 The Chellaram Foundation's charity rating? +

The Chellaram Foundation scores 73 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 The Chellaram Foundation have reviews and complaints? +

CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Chellaram Foundation. 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 The Chellaram Foundation? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 98% of The Chellaram Foundation'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 The Chellaram Foundation's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 0% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 0% of total expenditure at The Chellaram Foundation. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Chellaram Foundation'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 The Chellaram Foundation receive? +

The Chellaram Foundation reported £5.6m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: restructured.

Are The Chellaram Foundation'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 The Chellaram Foundation based? +

The Chellaram Foundation is listed at London · UK-wide · W1U 3BW and operates UK-wide, focused on community.

How does CharityCompare score The Chellaram Foundation? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Chellaram Foundation'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 The Chellaram Foundation's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.