---
title: "Wateraid International rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare"
description: "Is Wateraid International a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 81/100. Accounts 2025: income £915k · 100% on charitable activities. Reg 1137900."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/wateraid-international
retrieved: 2026-08-18T04:02:36.690Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Quick answer

## Is Wateraid International a good charity?

Wateraid International scores 81/100 (4 stars, Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£915k total income, 100% 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 · E14 5NN |
Reg [1137900](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/wateraid-international) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.wateraid.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1137900)

Donate

## How can you give to WATERAID INTERNATIONAL?

You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official WATERAID INTERNATIONAL form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form.

[Donate](https://www.wateraid.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1137900)

## What does Wateraid International do?

Wateraid International is a registered charity (no. 1137900) working in water & sanitation in London · E14 5NN. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 100% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 3 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining (≈6% 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 — Wateraid International hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=wateraid-international)

**In short:** WATERAID INTERNATIONAL scores 81 out of 100 (4 stars). 100% average program spend (2-year average, disclosed years only). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

## What is Wateraid International?

Wateraid International has a Clarity Score of 81 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 1137900. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Water & sanitation. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £915k, with 100% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 3 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](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026.

Overall score

81/100

4★ · Good

Cause spend

100%

2-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£915k

Latest year 2025

Reserves

3 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

Fundraising efficiency not stated ·
20% overhead · Website on register ·
Confidence: high

## How does WATERAID INTERNATIONAL compare?

Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers WATERAID INTERNATIONAL scores higher than.

Income band (£500k–£1m)52ndpercentile

**Scores higher than 52% of 2,187 charities in its income band** · 81/100 vs 79 peer average (marker).

Water & sanitation charities67thpercentile

**Scores higher than 67% of 3 charities in this cause** · 81/100 vs 81 peer average (marker).

## How reliable is Wateraid International's data?

Source

Charity Commission (England & Wales)

Accounts year

2025

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 Wateraid International'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.

80/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 100% | 3 months · 15/15 pts |
| Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 60% | 6/10 pts · 3-year average |
| Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 60% | 25% · 3/5 pts |

### Financial Efficiency

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

100/100
| Metric | Score | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 100% · 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
| 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 →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

## What is Wateraid International's Clarity Score?

81/100 total · Good · 4 of 5 stars

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

93/100

Accountability & Transparency

80/100

Financial Health

100/100

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.

80/100

Reserves (months of cash)3 months · 15/15 pts

Income stability / growth6/10 pts · 3-year average

Liabilities to assets25% · 3/5 pts

### Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio100% · 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 Wateraid International raise and spend?

Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings
| Category | Amount | % of spend |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Total income | £915k | — |
| Total expenditure | £903k | — |
| Charitable activities | £903k | 100% |
| Governance & admin | £287k | 32% |

100%On charitable activities

## Where does the money go?

Latest accounts (2025) · £903k spent

- Charitable activities100% · £903k
- Governance32% · £287k

## What trust indicators does Wateraid International 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

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 1137900

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/1137900)

### Trustees & officers

- Maureen Patricia O'Neil Chair · since 2020
- ANDREW JAMES GREEN since 2020
- The Hon Karlene Ann Maywald since 2021
- Martin Munro since 2022
- Andrew Towle since 2023
- Jan Sigurd Michael Arthursson since 2023
- PROFESSOR HIROAKI FURUMAI since 2024
- Mohamed Sigbe Beavogui since 2024
- Dr Claudia Sadoff since 2025
- Professor Sheila Tlou since 2025
- Ankie van Wersch-Lenders since 2025
- Osward Chanda 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 Wateraid International'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 Wateraid International?

Overall score

81/100 (4★)

Income

£915k

Cause spend

100% of expenditure

Reg number

1137900

Scope

Local (london)

Reserves

3 months

Trustees

12

Accounts year

2025

Filing

up to date

## How does WATERAID INTERNATIONAL compare, and where else can you look?

[Compare WATERAID INTERNATIONAL with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=wateraid-international) [More water & sanitation charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/water-sanitation) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology)

### Where WATERAID INTERNATIONAL sits

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

- [water sanitation charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/water-sanitation)
- [international charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/international)
- [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london)

### Similar water & sanitation charities

Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

- [FRANK WATER PROJECTS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/frank-water-projects) 90/100 · £462k
- [WATERAID](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/wateraid) 73/100 · £92m

## How can you share Wateraid International's rating?

Share: [X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Wateraid%20International%20%E2%80%94%2081%2F100%20Clarity%20Score%20on%20CharityCompare&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycompare.org.uk%2Fcharity%2Fwateraid-international)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycompare.org.uk%2Fcharity%2Fwateraid-international)[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycompare.org.uk%2Fcharity%2Fwateraid-international)[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Wateraid%20International%20%E2%80%94%2081%2F100%20Clarity%20Score%20on%20CharityCompare%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charitycompare.org.uk%2Fcharity%2Fwateraid-international) Copy link

Print / save as PDFOpens a printer-friendly view of this profile for Wateraid International.

For this charity

## How do you add Wateraid International's rating to your site?

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 81/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/wateraid-international)

Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere<a href="https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/wateraid-international" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:9px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;border:1px solid #e7e2d6;border-radius:10px;padding:8px 12px;background:#fff;color:#0f0f0f;">
<span style="display:inline-flex;width:24px;height:24px;align-items:center;justify-content:center;border-radius:6px;background:#C74C05;color:#fff;font-weight:700;font-size:14px;">♥</span>
<span style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;line-height:1.25;">
<span style="font-size:11px;color:#5a5a5a;">CharityCompare Clarity Score</span>
<span style="font-weight:700;font-size:14px;">81/100 <span style="color:#C74C05;">★★★★</span><span style="color:#cfc8ba;">★</span></span>
</span>
</a>Copy code

## Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Wateraid International's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

Is Wateraid International a good charity? + Wateraid International scores 81 out of 100 (4 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 100% 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 Wateraid International a legitimate charity? + Yes — Wateraid International is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1137900). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1137900. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact.

What is Wateraid International's charity number? + Wateraid International's charity number is 1137900. 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 Wateraid International's charity rating? + Wateraid International scores 81 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Good). 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 Wateraid International have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Wateraid International. 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 Wateraid International? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 100% of Wateraid International's total spending went to charitable activities (2-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 Wateraid International's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 20% of total expenditure at Wateraid International. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Wateraid International'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 Wateraid International receive? + Wateraid International reported £915k total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: declining.

Are Wateraid International'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 Wateraid International based? + Wateraid International is listed at London · E14 5NN, focused on water & sanitation.

How does CharityCompare score Wateraid International? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Wateraid International'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 Wateraid International'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.