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The Wow Foundation

Charity rating & review

71/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
71 /100

Clarity score

Needs improvement

Donate

Quick answer

Is The Wow Foundation a good charity?

The Wow Foundation scores 71/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£1.3m total income, 89% 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 · N1C 4AG Reg 1189880 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

What does The Wow Foundation do?

The Wow Foundation is a registered charity (no. 1189880) working in human rights across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 89% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 month of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈9% 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 — The Wow Foundation hasn't added its own description yet. Work here? Add it free →

In short: THE WOW FOUNDATION scores 71 out of 100 (3 stars). 89% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below.

What is The Wow Foundation?

The Wow Foundation has a Clarity Score of 71 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1189880. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Human rights. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £1.3m, with 89% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 month of operating costs. 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, last updated .

Overall score

71/100

3★ · Needs improvement

Cause spend

89%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£1.3m

Latest year 2025

Reserves

1 mo

1 month of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£9.1 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 12% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How does THE WOW FOUNDATION compare?

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

Income band (£1m–£5m)28thpercentile

Scores higher than 28% of 2,776 charities in its income band · 71/100 vs 78 peer average (marker).

Human rights charities30thpercentile

Scores higher than 30% of 146 charities in this cause · 71/100 vs 77 peer average (marker).

How reliable is The Wow 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 Wow 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

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE WOW 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% 10 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.

43/100

Financial Health metrics for THE WOW 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.

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.

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

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

0% 58% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

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

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

100% 89% · 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% 11p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

10/100

Community Support metrics for THE WOW FOUNDATION
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between.

10% 2 volunteers / 10 staff · 1/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

What is The Wow Foundation's Clarity Score?

71/100 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
43/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
10/100
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 oversight10 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

43/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 month · 5/15 pts
Income stability / growth8/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets58% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio89% · 10/10 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.

10/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio2 volunteers / 10 staff · 1/10 pts

How much does The Wow Foundation raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings

THE WOW FOUNDATION revenue and expenses for 2025
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £1.3m
Total expenditure £1.2m
Charitable activities £1.1m 91%
Fundraising £108k 9%
Governance & admin £21k 2%
91%On charitable activities

Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £1.2m spent

  • Charitable activities91%
  • Fundraising9%
  • Governance2%

What trust indicators does The Wow 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)

    10 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    10 employees · 2 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 →

Official register

Reg 1189880

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • BARBARA REEVES since 2019
  • Shevaun Haviland since 2020
  • NUSRATH HASSAN since 2019
  • Richard David COLLIER-KEYWOOD since 2020
  • Sandie Okoro Chair · since 2021
  • Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE since 2021
  • Nazir Afzal since 2022
  • DR VANESSA JANE OGDEN since 2023
  • Sandi Toksvig OBE since 2024
  • Dame Alison Rose DBE since 2025
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 Wow Foundation's finances changed over five years?

£0k £400k £800k £1200k £1600k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £941k Spending 2021: £737k Cause spend 2021: £667k Income 2022: £1,132k Spending 2022: £1,043k Cause spend 2022: £917k Income 2023: £1,173k Spending 2023: £1,159k Cause spend 2023: £1,010k Income 2024: £1,025k Spending 2024: £1,273k Cause spend 2024: £1,143k Income 2025: £1,319k Spending 2025: £1,190k Cause spend 2025: £1,082k
  • 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 Wow Foundation?

Overall score
71/100 (3★)
Income
£1.3m
Cause spend
89% of expenditure
Reg number
1189880
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
1 month
Trustees
10
Accounts year
2025
Filing
up to date

Where THE WOW FOUNDATION sits

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

Similar human rights charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

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Frequently asked questions

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

Is The Wow Foundation a good charity? +

The Wow Foundation scores 71 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 89% 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 Wow Foundation a legitimate charity? +

Yes — The Wow Foundation is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1189880). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1189880. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is The Wow Foundation's charity number? +

The Wow Foundation's charity number is 1189880. 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 Wow Foundation's charity rating? +

The Wow Foundation scores 71 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 Wow Foundation have reviews and complaints? +

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

According to its 2025 regulator filing, 89% of The Wow 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 Wow Foundation's overheads? +

According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 11% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 12% of total expenditure at The Wow Foundation. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what The Wow 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 Wow Foundation receive? +

The Wow Foundation reported £1.3m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing.

Are The Wow 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 Wow Foundation based? +

The Wow Foundation is listed at London · UK-wide · N1C 4AG and operates UK-wide, focused on human rights.

How does CharityCompare score The Wow Foundation? +

We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in The Wow 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 Wow 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.