Whilst it is somewhat more complex than a simple efficiency ratio, and may require the interested donor to break out a calculator, all the data you need to compare UK charitable apples with other UK charitable apples is contained in their accounts and annual report. It's called SORP.
But for he rest of the staff pay as low as you can get away with. I never really understood why it does not work the other way round.
I'm an atheist too, but always put money in the CA pouch and never give owt to Oxfam. Oxfam to me is like a corporate charity and would quite happily stamp out rival charities, local record shops and book shops in order to claim its chunk of every town centre in the land.
Broadly, yes - although don't ask me for the details.
Part of that is because there are tax breaks available to charity shops. That and the ability of (some) charity shops to attract volunteer staff rather than rely entirely on paid staff means charity shops can undercut the private sector.
The Charity Commission website is also pretty good at presenting information in a graphical format (although Greg's point about apples and pears is a good one). It shows, for instance, that GOSH charity's cost of raising money is apparently an enormous chunk of its income while the slim, flexible and effective* hospital charity just up the road (it's the one on the Euston Road) spends almost nothing in comparison.
Lol why would you need to give anywhere else in the world when there are sick and homeless and starving people on our own doorsteps?
