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THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION

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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION a good charity?

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION scores 82/100 (Good) on our Clarity Score, with 82% 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 0EX Reg 297540 Registered charity Official website Charity Commission register

Mission

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION is a registered charity (no. 297540) working in animals across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 82% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 13 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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars). 82% average program spend (3-year average). Filings are up to date with no major concerns.

Overview

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION has a Clarity Score of 82 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Good). Charity Commission registration number 297540. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Animals. Latest accounts year 2020: total income £7.8m, with 82% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 13 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

82%

3-yr avg · charitable activities

Accountability

93/100

Finance beacon

Income

£7.8m

Latest year 2020

Reserves

13 mo

Months of running costs

Accounts filing

On time

Charity Commission

£9.5 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 28% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high

How THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION compares

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

Income band (£5m–£10m)82 vs 78 avg

Ranks higher than 62% of 716 charities in its income band.

Animals charities82 vs 76 avg

Ranks higher than 64% of 2,982 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.

93/100

Accountability & Transparency metrics for THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION
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% 7 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies

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

70% 7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

83/100

Financial Health metrics for THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION
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% 13 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.

0% 40% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Financial Efficiency metrics for THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION
Metric Score Value
Program expense ratio

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

100% 82% · 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% 10p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Community Support metrics for THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION
Metric Score Value
Volunteer-to-staff ratio

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

0% Not reported · 0/10 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.

93/100
Accountability & Transparency
83/100
Financial Health
100/100
Financial Efficiency
0/100
Community Support

Accountability & Transparency

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

93/100

Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts
Trustee oversight7 trustees · 15/15 pts
Declared policies7/10 pts

Financial Health

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

83/100

Reserves (months of cash)13 months · 15/15 pts
Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average
Liabilities to assets40% · 0/5 pts

Financial Efficiency

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

100/100

Program expense ratio82% · 10/10 pts (3-year average)
Fundraising efficiency10p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average)

Community Support

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

0/100

Volunteer-to-staff ratioNot reported · 0/10 pts

Revenue & expenses

Latest filed year 2020 · Source: Charity Commission annual accounts

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION revenue and expenses for 2020
Category Amount % of spend
Total income £7.8m
Total expenditure £14m
Charitable activities £14m 96%
Fundraising £547k 4%
Governance & admin £3.8m 27%
96%On charitable activities

Where the money goes

Latest accounts (2020) · £14m spent

  • Charitable activities96%
  • Fundraising4%
  • Governance27%

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)

    7 trustees on the Charity Commission register

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 297540

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

View on Charity Commission →

Trustees & officers

  • HOLLY KATIE TEMPLEMAN BRANSON
  • Nicola Humphrey since 2022
  • Shrina Shah since 2024
  • Ivo Devereux since 2025
  • Angela Mwanza since 2025
  • Tony Hanway since 2025
  • Felix Stellmaszek since 2026
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 £5600k £11200k £16800k £22400k 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Income 2020: £7,785k Spending 2020: £14,094k Cause spend 2020: £13,547k Income 2021: £11,949k Spending 2021: £12,463k Cause spend 2021: £11,710k Income 2022: £10,248k Spending 2022: £12,169k Cause spend 2022: £11,500k Income 2023: £22,039k Spending 2023: £15,827k Cause spend 2023: £10,641k Income 2024: £21,494k Spending 2024: £18,090k Cause spend 2024: £15,202k
  • Income
  • Spending
  • Cause spend

Values in £ thousands · Source: Charity Commission accounts

Key facts

Overall score
82/100 (3★)
Income
£7.8m
Cause spend
82% of expenditure
Reg number
297540
Scope
UK-wide
Reserves
13 months
Trustees
7
Accounts year
2020
Filing
up to date

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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status.

What is THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION's charity rating? +

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION 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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION a good charity to donate to? +

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION scores 82 out of 100 (3 stars — Good) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its Charity Commission filings. Around 82% 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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION a legitimate UK charity? +

Yes — THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales under registration number 297540. You can verify the entry on the official register.

What is THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION's Charity Commission registration number? +

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION's registration number is 297540. Official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/297540

How much income does THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION receive? +

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION reported £7.8m total income in its 2020 accounts, based on Charity Commission filings. Five-year trend: declining.

What percentage of THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION's spending goes to charitable activities? +

Approximately 82% of total expenditure went to charitable activities in the latest filed year. Fundraising was 12% and combined overhead (fundraising plus governance) was 28%.

Are THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION'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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION based? +

THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION is listed at London · UK-wide · WC2R 0EX and operates UK-wide, focused on animals.

How does CharityCompare score THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION? +

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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION? +

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 VIRGIN FOUNDATION with other charities? +

Use our free compare tool to put THE VIRGIN FOUNDATION side-by-side with other UK charities on scores, finances, and filing status.