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BeaconAccountability & Transparency
40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10).
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Compare charities side-by-side
Pick up to four and see their Clarity scores, cause spend, reserves and filing record in one table — straight from UK regulator accounts.
How we score Information only — not donation advice.
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Information only — not donation advice. Methodology · Charity Commission annual returns for England & Wales.
Popular head-to-head comparisons
Brand and model match-ups with Clarity Score beacons and UK regulator filings — information only, not donation advice.
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Macmillan Cancer Support vs Cancer Research UK
Macmillan focuses on support for people living with cancer; Cancer Research UK funds research into prevention, diagnosis and treatment — compare filings and Clarity Scores, then fund the model you want.
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RSPCA vs Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
The RSPCA combines national animal welfare with inspectorate and prosecution work; Battersea focuses on rescue and rehoming — different jobs, both checkable on filings.
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Dogs Trust vs Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Dogs Trust and Battersea are both major rehoming organisations — closer like-for-like than RSPCA vs Battersea — so filings and Clarity Score beacons matter more than brand preference alone.
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Shelter vs Crisis
Shelter and Crisis are both major homelessness organisations with strong public profiles — compare what each emphasises, then check Clarity Scores and cause spend before you donate.
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Large national animal charity vs Local animal rescue
National charities offer scale and brand recognition; local rescues often spend a higher share directly on animals in your area.
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Cancer research charity vs Patient support charity
Research charities invest in long-term cures; patient support charities help people facing cancer today — many donors choose both.
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National homelessness charity vs Local homelessness service
National bodies influence housing policy; local services often provide direct beds and outreach in your city.
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Large international aid agency vs Specialist niche charity
Large agencies deploy fast in crises; specialists may excel in one intervention with lower overhead debate.
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Oxfam GB vs Save the Children UK
Oxfam focuses on global poverty, water and emergency relief; Save the Children prioritises child health, protection and education — compare filings and Clarity Scores.
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NSPCC vs Barnardo's
The NSPCC is built around child protection, investigation and a national helpline; Barnardo's delivers children's services and family support at scale — complementary models, not interchangeable brands.
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British Heart Foundation vs Stroke Association
The British Heart Foundation focuses on heart and circulatory disease; the Stroke Association on stroke prevention, treatment and life after stroke — related conditions, different jobs for a donation.
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Mind vs Samaritans
Mind combines services, local networks and campaigning on mental health; Samaritans is built around a 24-hour listening service — different jobs, both checkable on filings.
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Cats Protection vs Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Cats Protection is a national cats-only welfare and rehoming charity; Battersea rescues and rehomes dogs and cats — closer like-for-like than RSPCA vs Battersea, but still a species-mix choice.
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Islamic Relief Worldwide vs Muslim Aid
Islamic Relief Worldwide and Muslim Aid are both UK-registered humanitarian charities working overseas — closer like-for-like than a faith charity vs a secular agency, so filings and Clarity Score beacons matter more than brand preference alone.
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Help for Heroes vs The Royal British Legion
Help for Heroes is built around recovery and support for wounded, injured and sick personnel and veterans; the Royal British Legion is a broader ex-service welfare and membership organisation — different jobs, both checkable on filings.
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Marie Curie vs Macmillan Cancer Support
Marie Curie is built around hospice and end-of-life care; Macmillan around support for people living with cancer — related, not interchangeable, and both checkable on filings.
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Alzheimer's Society vs Alzheimer's Research UK
Alzheimer's Society is built around support, information and services for people living with dementia; Alzheimer's Research UK funds research — complementary models, not interchangeable brands.
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Guide Dogs vs RNIB
Guide Dogs is built around assistance dogs and related mobility; RNIB is a broader sight-loss organisation covering information, services and campaigning — different jobs, both checkable on filings.
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PDSA vs Blue Cross
PDSA is built around veterinary treatment for sick and injured animals; Blue Cross around rehoming and welfare — closer to a model choice than RSPCA vs Battersea, and both checkable on filings.
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WWF-UK vs RSPB
WWF-UK is a UK-registered arm of a global conservation network; the RSPB is built around birds and habitats in the UK — related “environment” labels, different jobs for a donation.
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Christian Aid vs CAFOD
Christian Aid and CAFOD are both UK-registered Christian humanitarian and development charities — closer like-for-like than a faith charity vs a secular agency, so filings and Clarity Score beacons matter more than brand preference alone.
Open comparison →Guides: How to compare charities · Cancer charities · Animal charities
Top & bottom lists
Editorial rankings by metric — from UK regulator filings. Information only.
Bottom 10 by filing timeliness
Charities with the weakest filing records in our set — late or missing accounts on the register.
Top 10 charities by accountability & transparency UK
Highest Accountability & Transparency beacon scores — filing record, trustee oversight and declared policies from UK regulator filings.
Top 10 charities by fundraising efficiency UK
UK charities with the most efficient fundraising — lowest fundraising cost as a share of expenditure from UK regulator filings.
Top 10 charities by financial health UK
Highest Financial Health beacon scores — reserves, income stability and balance-sheet signals from UK regulator filings.
Top 10 charities by overall score
Highest Clarity Scores (0–100) in our curated set — the four-pillar rating built from UK regulator filings.
Top 10 charities by cause spend UK
Charities where the largest share of expenditure went to charitable activities — money to the cause from UK regulator filings.
Clarity Score
How we score
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.
90+Exceptional
75+Good
60+Needs improvement
1+Poor
0+Not rated
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BeaconFinancial Health
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).
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BeaconFinancial Efficiency
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).
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BeaconCommunity Support
10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio.
Overall score (0–100)
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.
Overall score (0–100)
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.
Pillar breakdown
Each sub-metric awards fixed points (e.g. 15/15, 10/10). Pillar rings show the percentage of that pillar’s maximum earned.
Red flags
Factual cards — statutory inquiry, fewer than three trustees, late filings, high fundraising spend, sharp income drops, very high reserves.
Give with Confidence
Score 75+ (about 4★ on the 5-star display), no serious red flags, filings up to date, no statutory inquiry.
What we exclude from a full score
A full Clarity Score needs detailed annual-return fields. Charities under £100,000 income, and many OSCR/CCNI records with thinner published returns, get a basic register profile instead of a score. Optional donor support never influences ratings. Every UK-registered charity still has a profile.
Information only — not donation advice. Source: UK charity regulator registers and annual returns (Charity Commission for England & Wales, OSCR, CCNI). Changelog →
Common questions
Is comparing Clarity Scores donation advice?
No. Clarity Scores summarise official UK regulator filings. A higher score does not mean you should donate there. Read the full profile, the scoring guide below, and the charity’s own accounts before giving.
How many charities can I compare at once?
Up to four from our directory — Clarity scores (0–100), beacon breakdowns, income, cause-spend percentages and filing status appear side-by-side.
Where does the data come from?
UK regulator annual returns and registers — the Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR in Scotland, and CCNI in Northern Ireland. Every profile cites primary sources. Rated profiles need detailed return fields; thinner records get a basic register page.
Can I compare famous charities like Macmillan vs Cancer Research UK?
Yes. Use the interactive tool above, or open a curated head-to-head — Macmillan vs Cancer Research UK, Marie Curie vs Macmillan, NSPCC vs Barnardo’s, Mind vs Samaritans, RSPCA vs Battersea, Help for Heroes vs the Royal British Legion, and others — which explain model differences plus filings snapshots.
How do I compare charities in my city?
Browse by cause and city for pages such as best animal charities in Bristol or homeless charities in Manchester, then open the compare tool with up to four shortlisted charities.