--- title: "The Health Foundation rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare" description: "Is The Health Foundation a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 53/100. Accounts 2024: income £17m · 78% on charitable activities. Reg 286967." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-health-foundation retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:03:17.693Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is The Health Foundation a good charity? The Health Foundation scores 53/100 (2 stars, Poor) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2024 (£17m total income, 78% 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 · EC4Y 8AP | Reg [286967](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-health-foundation) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.health.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/286967) Donate ## How can you give to THE HEALTH FOUNDATION? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official THE HEALTH FOUNDATION form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.health.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=286967) ## What does The Health Foundation do? The Health Foundation is a registered charity (no. 286967) working in health across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 78% of spending to charitable activities, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable over recent years. 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 Health Foundation hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=the-health-foundation) **In short:** THE HEALTH FOUNDATION scores 53 out of 100 (2 stars). 78% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is The Health Foundation? The Health Foundation has a Clarity Score of 53 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars, Poor). Charity Commission registration number 286967. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Health. Latest accounts year 2024: total income £17m, with 78% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 53/100 2★ · Poor Cause spend 78% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 93/100 Finance beacon Income £17m Latest year 2024 Reserves — Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £1.2 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 23% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does THE HEALTH FOUNDATION compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers THE HEALTH FOUNDATION scores higher than. Income band (£10m+)4thpercentile **Scores higher than 4% of 943 charities in its income band** · 53/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). Health charities6thpercentile **Scores higher than 6% of 528 charities in this cause** · 53/100 vs 76 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is The Health Foundation'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 The Health 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. 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% | 12 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. 30/100 | 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% | Not stated · 0/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 40% | 4/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 2% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 35/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 70% | 78% · 7/10 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% | 86p per £1 income · 0/10 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% | 3 volunteers / 273 staff · 0/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is The Health Foundation's Clarity Score? 53/100 total · Poor · 2 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 93/100 Accountability & Transparency 30/100 Financial Health 35/100 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 oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies7/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 30/100 Reserves (months of cash)Not stated · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth4/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets2% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 35/100 Program expense ratio78% · 7/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency86p per £1 income · 0/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 0/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio3 volunteers / 273 staff · 0/10 pts ## How much does The Health Foundation raise and spend? Latest filed year 2024 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £17m | — | | Total expenditure | £67m | — | | Charitable activities | £50m | 75% | | Fundraising | £17m | 25% | | Governance & admin | £722k | 1% | 75%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2024) · £67m spent - Charitable activities75% · £50m - Fundraising25% · £17m - Governance1% · £722k ## What trust indicators does The Health 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 24 June 2026 - ✓ Trustee board size (3–12) 12 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 273 employees · 3 volunteers (0:1 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 286967 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/286967) ### Trustees & officers - Loraine Hawkins since 2017 - Dr Ruth Hussey since 2018 - David Smart since 2019 - Professor Dawn Edge since 2021 - Katherine Blacklock since 2021 - Paul John Najsarek since 2023 - James Roland Sinker since 2023 - Rachel Wintour since 2024 - Sir David Behan since 2025 - Karen Reid since 2025 - Professor Kim Samantha Graham FRSE since 2025 - Stian Westlake 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 The Health Foundation'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 The Health Foundation? Overall score 53/100 (2★) Income £17m Cause spend 78% of expenditure Reg number 286967 Scope UK-wide Reserves — Trustees 12 Accounts year 2024 Filing up to date ## How does THE HEALTH FOUNDATION compare, and where else can you look? [Compare THE HEALTH FOUNDATION with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-health-foundation) [More health charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where THE HEALTH FOUNDATION sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [health charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london) - [health charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/health/london) ### Similar health charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [THE MOST VENERABLE ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM (THE ORDER OF ST JOHN)](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-most-venerable-order-of-the-hospital-of-st-john-of-jerusalem-the-order-of-st-john) 100/100 · £2.4m - [THE FARMING COMMUNITY NETWORK](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-farming-community-network) 100/100 · £1.8m - [KIDS MATTER](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/kids-matter) 100/100 · £795k - [WOMANKIND](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/womankind) 100/100 · £731k ## How can you share The Health Foundation'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 53/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-health-foundation) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 53/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about The Health Foundation's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is The Health Foundation a good charity? + The Health Foundation scores 53 out of 100 (2 stars — Poor) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 78% 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 Health Foundation a legitimate charity? + Yes — The Health Foundation is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 286967). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/286967. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is The Health Foundation's charity number? + The Health Foundation's charity number is 286967. 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 Health Foundation's charity rating? + The Health Foundation scores 53 out of 100 on CharityCompare (2 stars — Poor). 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 Health Foundation have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for The Health Foundation. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. 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 Health Foundation? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, 78% of The Health 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 Health Foundation's overheads? + According to its 2024 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 22% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 23% of total expenditure at The Health Foundation. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Health 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 Health Foundation receive? + The Health Foundation reported £17m total income in its 2024 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable. Are The Health 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 Health Foundation based? + The Health Foundation is listed at London · UK-wide · EC4Y 8AP and operates UK-wide, focused on health. How does CharityCompare score The Health Foundation? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Health 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 Health Foundation'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.