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THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS

Charity rating & review

100/100 Clarity Score · 4 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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100 /100

Clarity score

Exceptional

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Is THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS a good charity?

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS scores 100/100 (Exceptional) on our Clarity Score, with 98% of spending going to charitable activities and accounts up to date. This reflects financial transparency and stewardship from Charity Commission filings — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown.

United Kingdom Reg 236464 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS is a registered charity (no. 236464) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 98% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 9 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been declining over recent years. CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes.

In short: THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS scores 100 out of 100 (4 stars). 98% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS has a Clarity Score of 100 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars, Exceptional). Charity Commission registration number 236464. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2021: total income £713k, with 98% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 9 months of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation.

Data from Charity Commission register, last updated .

Overall score

100/100

4★ · Great

Cause spend

98%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£713k

Latest year 2021

Reserves

9 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£71.8 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 7% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS compares

Clarity Score benchmarked against similar UK charities — higher is better.

Income band (£500k–£1m)100 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 100% of 2,157 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities100 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 100% of 3,988 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2021
Filing date
2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000
Profile reviewed
2026-06-25

High confidence — complete filing data

Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons require information beyond public filings.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales . Open Government Licence v3.0 .

Beacon report

Detailed accountability and finance metrics from Charity Commission filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report.

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS
Metric Score Value
Filing history (5 years)

100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts.

100% 15/15 pts
Trustee oversight

Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts · one or two = 0 pts (governance red flag).

100% 13 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return.

100% 10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

100/100

Financial Health metrics for THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS
Metric Score Value
Reserves (months of cash)

3–24 months = 15 pts · 1–3 months = 7 pts · under 1 month or over 3 years (hoarding) = 0 pts.

100% 9 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth

Positive or stable three-year revenue trend = 10 pts · sustained decline = 0 pts.

100% 10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets

Low debt (< 30% liabilities to assets) = 5 pts · high debt = 0 pts.

100% 1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

≥ 75% on charitable activities = 10 pts · 60–75% = 5 pts · below 60% = 0 pts.

100% 98% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency

Spends ≤ £0.20 to raise £1 = 10 pts · £0.21–£0.35 = 5 pts · above £0.35 = 0 pts (fundraising cost ÷ income).

100% 1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

100/100

Community Support metrics for THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

More volunteers than paid staff = 10 pts · equal mix = 5 pts · no volunteers = 0 pts.

100% 15 volunteers / 1 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

100/100 total · Exceptional · 4 of 4 stars

Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings.

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
100/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
100/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies.

100/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight13 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts.

100/100

Reserves (months of cash)9 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets1% · 5/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios.

100/100

Program expense ratio98% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency1p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff.

100/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratio15 volunteers / 1 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2021 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS revenue and expenses for 2021
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £713k
Total expenditure £899k
Charitable activities £893k 99%
Fundraising £6k 1%
Governance & admin £15k 2%
99%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2021) · £899k spent

  • Charitable activities99%
  • Fundraising1%
  • Governance2%

Trust indicators

Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported.

  • Accounts filed on time

    up to date · last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000

  • Trustee board size (3–12)

    13 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    1 employees · 15 volunteers (15:1 volunteer-to-staff)

Fundraising Regulator

Status not yet checked

Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Check Fundraising Regulator →

Official register

Reg 236464

Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission.

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Br Benedict Winsper SSF since 2022
  • Br Christopher John SSF since 2017
  • Br Martin Price SSF since 2018
  • Br Alf Micael Carlstrom SSF Chair · since 2022
  • Br James Mohun Yonge SSF since 2019
  • Br Cristian Buliga SSF since 2022
  • Br Malcolm Fountain SSF since 2021
  • Br Richard Sydney Double SSF since 2022
  • Br Nicholas Alan Worssam since 2022
  • Br Hugh Cobbett since 2022
  • Br James Race since 2025
  • Br Robert Ames Chase since 2025
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.

Full methodology →

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★).

Five-year trends

£0k £400k £800k £1200k £1600k 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Income 2021: £713k Spending 2021: £899k Cause spend 2021: £893k Income 2022: £1,313k Spending 2022: £825k Cause spend 2022: £813k Income 2023: £1,065k Spending 2023: £827k Cause spend 2023: £818k Income 2024: £1,148k Spending 2024: £871k Cause spend 2024: £850k Income 2025: £1,289k Spending 2025: £1,003k Cause spend 2025: £984k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
100/100 (4★)
Income
£713k
Cause spend
98% of expenditure
Reg number
236464
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
9 months
Trustees
13
Accounts year
2021
Filing
up to date

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Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS's charity rating? +

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS scores 100 out of 100 on CharityCompare (4 stars — Exceptional). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from Charity Commission filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10).

Is THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS a good charity to donate to? +

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS scores 100 out of 100 (4 stars — Exceptional) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 98% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate.

Is THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 236464. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS's registration number is 236464. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/236464

How much income does THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS receive? +

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS reported £713k total income in its 2021 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 98% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 2% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 7%.

Are THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS's accounts up to date? +

Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24 00:00:00.0000000). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score.

Where is THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS based? +

THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS is listed at United Kingdom and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS? +

We analyse Charity Commission annual accounts using three-year averages for program expense, fundraising efficiency, and overhead; working capital from reserves vs average expenditure; liabilities-to-assets from the latest balance sheet when available. Impact, leadership, and culture beacons are not yet assessed from public data alone. See our methodology for weights and thresholds.

Does CharityCompare recommend donating to THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS? +

No. CharityCompare provides independent scores and facts from official filings. We do not tell you where to donate or earn commission from charities.

How can I compare THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE BROTHERS OF THE FIRST ORDER OF THE SOCIETY OF ST FRANCIS side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.