Large aid agency vs specialist charity — international giving
In short: Large agencies deploy fast in crises; specialists may excel in one intervention with lower overhead debate.
Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .
International charities vary hugely in size and focus. Compare scores rather than assuming bigger is better or worse.
Key differences
| What to compare | Save the Children | Islamic Relief Worldwide |
|---|---|---|
| Crisis response | Strong — existing field offices | Varies — may partner locally |
| Focus | Multi-sector programmes | Single intervention depth |
| Due diligence burden | Heavy governance, public scrutiny | You must check filings carefully |
What the latest filings show
Figures from the most recent annual accounts on the Charity Commission register. Clarity scores use our methodology.
| Metric | Save the Children | Islamic Relief Worldwide |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 87/100 (3★) | 87/100 (3★) |
| Accountability & Finance | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Spend on charitable activities | 87% of expenditure | 87% of expenditure |
| Fundraising efficiency | £12.3 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) | £13.6 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) |
| Latest income | £370m | £165m |
| Fundraising spend | 8% of expenditure | 8% of expenditure |
| Reserves | 2 months | 2 months |
| Accounts filing | On time | On time |
| Data confidence | high | high |
| Charity number | 213890 | 256279 |
Save the Children on the register · Islamic Relief Worldwide on the register
Save the Children may suit you if…
- You want disaster response capacity
- You trust established audit trails
Islamic Relief Worldwide may suit you if…
- You care about one outcome (e.g. clean water)
- You want a specific story of impact
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.
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★).