--- title: "Compare charities — UK side-by-side ratings | CharityCompare" description: "Compare UK charities side-by-side — Clarity Scores, beacon breakdowns, cause spend and filing status." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities retrieved: 2026-08-18T00:02:50.405Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Compare charities # 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](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Information only — not donation advice. Add charities0 of 4 selected Loading charities… ⇄ Pick two charities to compare Search above, or start from one of these — you can swap any of them out afterwards. Information only — not donation advice. [Methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) · Charity Commission annual returns for England & Wales. [Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/macmillan-vs-cancer-research-uk)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/rspca-vs-battersea)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/dogs-trust-vs-battersea)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/shelter-vs-crisis)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/large-national-vs-local-animal-charity)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/cancer-research-vs-patient-support)[Compare National homelessness charity vs Local homelessness service National bodies influence housing policy; local services often provide direct beds and outreach in your city. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/homelessness-national-vs-local)[Compare Large international aid agency vs Specialist niche charity Large agencies deploy fast in crises; specialists may excel in one intervention with lower overhead debate. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/international-aid-large-vs-specialist)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/oxfam-gb-vs-save-the-children-fund)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/nspcc-vs-barnardos)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/british-heart-foundation-vs-stroke-association)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/mind-vs-samaritans)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/cats-protection-vs-battersea)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/islamic-relief-vs-muslim-aid)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/help-for-heroes-vs-royal-british-legion)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/marie-curie-vs-macmillan)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/alzheimers-society-vs-alzheimers-research-uk)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/guide-dogs-vs-rnib)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/pdsa-vs-blue-cross)[Compare 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. Open comparison →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/wwf-uk-vs-rspb)[Compare 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 →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/christian-aid-vs-cafod) Guides: [How to compare charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/how-to-compare-charities) · [Cancer charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/compare-cancer-charities-uk) · [Animal charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/compare-animal-charities-uk) [Bottom 10 by filing timeliness Charities with the weakest filing records in our set — late or missing accounts on the register. →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/lists/bottom-openness)[Top 10 charities by accountability & transparency UK Highest Accountability & Transparency beacon scores — filing record, trustee oversight and declared policies from UK regulator filings. →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/lists/top-accountability)[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. →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/lists/top-fundraising-efficiency)[Top 10 charities by financial health UK Highest Financial Health beacon scores — reserves, income stability and balance-sheet signals from UK regulator filings. →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/lists/top-income-growth)[Top 10 charities by overall score Highest Clarity Scores (0–100) in our curated set — the four-pillar rating built from UK regulator filings. →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/lists/top-overall-rating)[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. →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/lists/top-cause-spend) 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. [Read full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) 90+★★★★★Exceptional 75+★★★★☆Good 60+★★★☆☆Needs improvement 1+★★☆☆☆Poor 0+☆☆☆☆☆Not rated ✓ Beacon ### Accountability & Transparency 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). ✓ Beacon ### Financial 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). ✓ Beacon ### Financial 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). ✓ Beacon ### Community 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. Accountability 40+Health 30+Efficiency 20+Community 10=100 pts ### 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 →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology/changelog) 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.