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THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)

Charity rating & review

92/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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92 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Is THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) a good charity?

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) scores 92/100 (Exceptional) on our Clarity Score, with 80% of spending going to charitable activities and accounts up to date. This reflects financial transparency and stewardship from Charity Commission filings — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

London · UK-wide · WC1N 1AZ Reg 312278 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) is a registered charity (no. 312278) working in animals across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 80% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 2 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining 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.

In short: THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) scores 92 out of 100 (4 stars). 80% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) has a Clarity Score of 92 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 312278. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £21m, with 80% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 2 months 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

92/100

4★ · Great

Cause spend

80%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£21m

Latest year 2021

Reserves

2 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£5.1 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 20% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) compares

Clarity Score benchmarked against similar UK charities — higher is better.

Income band (£10m+)92 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 93% of 1,022 charities in its income band.

Animals charities92 vs 76 avg

Ranks higher than 87% of 2,982 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-25

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales . Open Government Licence v3.0 .

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission 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 THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)
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 · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 18 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.

73/100

Financial Health metrics for THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

47% 2 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

100% 26% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 80% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 20p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Community Support metrics for THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

100% 1,698 volunteers / 499 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

92/100 total · Exceptional · 4 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
73/100
Financial Health
100/100
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 oversight18 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

73/100

Reserves (months of cash)2 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets26% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio80% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency20p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio1,698 volunteers / 499 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £21m
Total expenditure £20m
Charitable activities £17m 83%
Fundraising £3.3m 17%
Governance & admin £148k 1%
83%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £20m spent

  • Charitable activities83%
  • Fundraising17%
  • Governance1%

Trust indicators

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

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    18 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    499 employees · 1,698 volunteers (3:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Not listed as member

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 312278

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Geoff Berridge since 2014
  • Jenny Coles CBE since 2016
  • Her Honour Judge Celia Dawson since 2017
  • Jill Pay since 2018
  • James Dray since 2020
  • Kerry Smith since 2020
  • Andrew Carter since 2021
  • Hanif Barma since 2022
  • Barbara Hudson since 2023
  • James Hadley since 2023
  • Gita Singham-Willis since 2024
  • Simon Greenhalgh since 2024
How we score charities +

The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK Charity Commission data. Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically.

Full methodology →

Accountability & Transparency

Scored from filings

40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15), declared policies (10).

Financial Health

Scored from filings

30 points — reserves (15), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5).

Financial Efficiency

Scored from filings

20 points — program expense ratio (10), fundraising efficiency (10). Kept at 20% to avoid punishing legitimate infrastructure costs.

Community Support

Scored from filings

10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data.

Overall score

Sum of all pillar points. Translated to stars: 90–100 Exceptional (4★), 75–89 Good (3★), 60–74 Needs improvement (2★), below 60 Poor (1★).

Five-year trends

£0k £7000k £14000k £21000k £28000k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £20,868k Spending 2021: £20,054k Cause spend 2021: £16,742k Income 2022: £21,239k Spending 2022: £20,719k Cause spend 2022: £16,740k Income 2023: £21,785k Spending 2023: £21,691k Cause spend 2023: £17,567k Income 2024: £25,585k Spending 2024: £25,053k Cause spend 2024: £20,180k Income 2025: £27,577k Spending 2025: £27,643k Cause spend 2025: £21,815k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
92/100 (4★)
Income
£21m
Cause spend
80% of expenditure
Reg number
312278
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
2 months
Trustees
18
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)'s rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)'s charity rating? +

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) scores 92 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Exceptional). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) a good charity to donate to? +

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) scores 92 out of 100 (4 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 80% 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 THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 312278. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)'s Charity Commission registration number? +

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)'s registration number is 312278. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/312278

How much income does THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) receive? +

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) reported £21m total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)'s spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 80% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 20% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 20%.

Are THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)'s accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) based? +

THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) is listed at London · UK-wide · WC1N 1AZ and operates UK-wide, focused on animals.

How does CharityCompare score THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL)? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THOMAS CORAM FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN (FORMERLY FOUNDLING HOSPITAL) side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.