--- title: "Guide Dogs vs RNIB — charity comparison | CharityCompare" description: "Guide Dogs vs RNIB compared: assistance-dog training vs broader sight-loss services — Clarity Scores, cause spend and UK regulator filings." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/guide-dogs-vs-rnib retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:24:09.455Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- [TG](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-guide-dogs-for-the-blind-association) [THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-guide-dogs-for-the-blind-association) 88/100 4★ Reg. 209617 compared with [TR](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-national-institute-of-blind-people) [THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-national-institute-of-blind-people) 72/100 3★ Reg. 226227 # Guide Dogs vs RNIB — charity comparison **In short:** 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. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026. Guide Dogs vs RNIB is the usual search when someone wants to help people with sight loss and knows both names. One is a specialist assistance-dog charity. The other is a wider sight-loss organisation. Local providers such as Somerset Sight are a third model. Compare the job you want funded, then Clarity Score beacons. Not donation advice. ## Key differences | What to compare | THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION | THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE | | --- | --- | --- | | Primary model | Assistance dogs, mobility and related training | Information, services and campaigning for people with sight loss | | What donors often expect | A guide dog partnership | Helplines, products, campaigning and services | | Local alternative | Also compare county sight-loss charities | Also compare county sight-loss charities | | Best if you want | Assistance-dog training and mobility | A broad national sight-loss charity | ## What the latest filings show Figures from the most recent annual accounts on the Charity Commission register. Clarity scores use our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). | Metric | THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION | THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall score | 88/100 (4★) | 72/100 (3★) | | Accountability & Finance | 100/100 | 75/100 | | Spend on charitable activities | 73% of expenditure | 62% of expenditure | | Fundraising efficiency | £3.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | £5.4 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | | Latest income | £156m | £96m | | Fundraising spend | 27% of expenditure | 20% of expenditure | | Reserves | 6 months | 7 months | | Accounts filing | On time | Late | | Data confidence | high | medium | | Charity number | 209617 | 226227 | [THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION on the register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/209617) · [THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE on the register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/226227) ## THE GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND ASSOCIATION may suit you if… - You specifically want to fund assistance dogs and mobility - You already know Guide Dogs’ work - You are choosing a specialist rather than a broad sight-loss charity [Full profile →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-guide-dogs-for-the-blind-association) ## THE ROYAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF BLIND PEOPLE may suit you if… - You want a broader sight-loss organisation - You already use or recognise RNIB information or services - You prefer campaigning and services at national scale [Full profile →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-national-institute-of-blind-people) ## Common questions ### Guide Dogs vs RNIB — which is better to donate to? They do different work. Compare Clarity Scores, cause spend and filing record, then support the model you value. There is no single best sight-loss charity for every donor. ### Are Guide Dogs and RNIB both legitimate UK charities? Yes — both are long-established registered charities. Still verify the charity number on any unfamiliar appeal. County sight-loss charities are a third model if you want help near you rather than a national brand. 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. [Compare these charities side-by-side](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=the-guide-dogs-for-the-blind-association,the-royal-national-institute-of-blind-people) [Back to compare](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities)