How our scoring works
Every charity on CharityScore UK is given a trust score out of 100. Here's exactly how we calculate it — no black boxes, no hidden criteria.
Our mission
We are an independent watchdog. All data comes from official public sources — primarily the UK Charity Commission register. Our job is to help donors make informed decisions about where their money goes.
The score — 5 components, up to 105 points possible
In practice, no charity has ever scored above 95 — perfect marks across every single category simultaneously is extremely rare. Scores are displayed out of 100 for simplicity.
1. Trustees & Governance
25 pointsA well-governed charity has multiple trustees — independent people responsible for making sure the charity operates properly. A single trustee with no oversight is a governance red flag.
2. Financial Health
30 pointsWe look at what percentage of income is actually spent on charitable work, plus whether income has been stable or growing year over year. A charity that hoards money or spends far more than it earns scores lower. The ideal spending range is 70–95% — most income going to the mission, with a small reserve.
Base score (for having financial data)
Spending ratio (up to 15pts)
Income stability bonus (up to 5pts)
3. Public Transparency
10 pointsWe check whether a charity provides basic public contact information and a clear description of its work — simple signals that a charity is reachable and operating openly.
4. Filing History
30 pointsEvery registered charity must file an annual return with the Charity Commission. Filing late — or not at all — is the single biggest warning sign we look for. We also check whether accounts have ever been qualified (flagged) by auditors.
Years of history (max 15pts)
On-time filing (max 10pts)
Penalties
5. Regulatory Standing
10 pointsWe check the Charity Commission's event history for every charity. If the regulator has ever opened an inquiry, issued a warning, removed a trustee, or taken any formal action — that is reflected in the score.
Trust badges
Red flags
Beyond the score, we surface specific red flags on each charity's profile page. These are concrete issues we found in the data — not opinions.
Data sources
All data is sourced from official public records:
- • Charity Commission for England & Wales — registration, trustee, financial, and event data
- • Annual returns — filed directly by charities with the regulator
- • Event history — official regulatory actions recorded by the Commission
Data is updated periodically from the Charity Commission's public data extract. We do not modify or editorialize the underlying data — we only calculate scores from it.
Disclaimer
CharityScore UK is an independent information service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Charity Commission for England & Wales or any government body.
Scores and ratings represent our independent assessment methodology and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. Donors should conduct their own research before making donation decisions.
While we take care to ensure accuracy, we cannot guarantee that all information is complete or up to date. If you believe any information about your charity is incorrect, please contact us at charity@charityscore.co.uk and we will investigate promptly.
Reporting an error
If you are a charity and believe your score or profile contains inaccurate information, contact us at charity@charityscore.co.uk with your charity registration number and details of the error. We aim to respond within 5 working days.
Copyright
Underlying charity data is sourced from the Charity Commission for England & Wales and is published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Our scoring methodology, website design, and written content are © CharityScore UK 2026.