Intelligent Giving

GRAND FEATS BUT NO GRAND PLAN

2006/7 was another hectic year for this colossus of the international aid sector. It worked on a dizzying array of causes in 56 countries, ranging from disaster relief to the provision of basic child healthcare. But its annual report is disappointing. There's no mention of how these achievements compared to previous plans, and there's little detail on what to expect in the future.

Read the charity's reply

QUALITY OF REPORTING What is this?	64%
How much info does the charity want to share? This score, taken from our search for 43 key points in the annual report, gives the answer. Top mark is 100%. Anything over 70% is a good effort.
SIZE OF CHARITY... What is this?	Super size
We only profile the largest charities in England & Wales, and our sizes are relative to the largest and smallest among them. So where we describe a charity as 'Small', it is still much larger than the national average.
HIGHEST SALARY What is this?	£100k to £149k
Taken from the vague bandings given in annual reports; note that 'Under £60k' could be £9k or £59k. Nonetheless the number of bars should roughly correlate with the 'Size of charity' bars.
RESERVES WOULD LAST... What is this?	3 months
If income dried up, how long could work continue? 3-12 months is normal. Less may be precarious. 12+ months may be over-cautious (or if very high, may represent the value of the charity's property).
ETHICAL INVESTMENT POLICY What is this?	Unknown
We asked the charity if it has an ethical investment policy. If yes, it gets an angel. Those with no policy but which don't invest in tobacco/arms get a halo. Those without investments, or who didn't respond, appear neutral. Those with stakes in arms/tobacco get a fallen angel.

But don't take our word for it...

• The charity's website
• GuideStar summary
• Charity Commission link to annual report

Save the Children fights for children in the UK and around the world who suffer from poverty, disease, injustice and violence. We work with them to find lifelong answers to the problems they face.
We are achieving real and lasting change for children by focusing on: health, education, hunger and protection. We work for a world that respects and values each child, listens to children and learns, and where all children have hope and opportunity.