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THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

Charity rating & review

82/100 Clarity Score · 3 stars · Charity Commission filings · How we score

Verified · Charity Commission data
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82 /100

Clarity score

Good

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Is THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM a good charity?

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM scores 82/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 81% 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.

London · UK-wide · WC2R 1LA Reg 213962 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM is a registered charity (no. 213962) working in children & youth across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 81% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Income has been growing 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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars). 81% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 213962. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Children & youth. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £338k, with 81% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 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

82/100

3★ · Good

Cause spend

81%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

100/100

Finance beacon

Income

£338k

Latest year 2020

Reserves

1 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£58.6 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 4% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM compares

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

Income band (£100k–£500k)82 vs 77 avg

Ranks higher than 62% of 2,492 charities in its income band.

Children & youth charities82 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 60% of 3,988 charities in this cause.

Data & confidence

Source
Charity Commission (E&W)
Accounts year
2020
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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
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% 11 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.

40/100

Financial Health metrics for THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
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.

47% 1 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth

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

0% 0/10 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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 81% · 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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

100% 20 volunteers / 4 staff · 10/10 pts

How we calculate beacon scores →

Clarity Score

82/100 total · Good · 3 of 4 stars

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

100/100
Accountability & Transparency
40/100
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 oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies10/10 pts

Financial Health

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

40/100

Reserves (months of cash)1 months · 7/15 pts
Income stability / growth0/10 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 ratio81% · 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 ratio20 volunteers / 4 staff · 10/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM revenue and expenses for 2020
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £338k
Total expenditure £428k
0%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2020) · £428k spent

  • Other spending100%

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)

    11 trustees on the Charity Commission register

  • Workforce on register

    4 employees · 20 volunteers (5:1 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 213962

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • Susheila Nasta since 2019
  • Inua Ellams since 2019
  • Dr Ruth Scurr since 2020
  • Dr Helen Mort FRSL since 2021
  • Catherine Johnson FRSL since 2021
  • Reza Vishkai since 2023
  • Patrick McGuinness FRSL since 2025
  • Dr Joanna Kavenna FRSL since 2025
  • Daisy Hay FRSL since 2025
  • Maureen Freely FRSL since 2025
  • William Russell Dixon 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 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £338k Spending 2020: £428k Cause spend 2020: £321k Income 2021: £290k Spending 2021: £463k Cause spend 2021: £347k Income 2022: £1,249k Spending 2022: £512k Cause spend 2022: £482k Income 2023: £255k Spending 2023: £577k Cause spend 2023: £433k Income 2024: £236k Spending 2024: £735k Cause spend 2024: £551k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
82/100 (3★)
Income
£338k
Cause spend
81% of expenditure
Reg number
213962
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
1 months
Trustees
11
Accounts year
2020
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM's charity rating? +

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM scores 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Good). 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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM a good charity to donate to? +

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 81% 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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 213962. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM's registration number is 213962. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/213962

How much income does THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM receive? +

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM reported £338k total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: growing.

What percentage of THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 81% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 2% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 4%.

Are THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM based? +

THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM is listed at London · UK-wide · WC2R 1LA and operates UK-wide, focused on children & youth.

How does CharityCompare score THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM? +

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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM? +

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 ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.