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Books Abroad

Aberdeenshire, Scotland Reg: SC011359 (Charity Commission) Sign up to see website
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41
Integrity Assessment
Partial transparency
41/100 · methodology

About Books Abroad

Book donations are received from schools, colleges, universities & book publishers to distribute and recycle by sending them to schools and other institutions in developing countries 'the advancement of education' 4.1 To propagate and maintain literacy and education in all its branches and at all levels, by any lawful means in any area of the world where lack of resources would otherwise be an obstacle to its achievement. 4.2 To re-use wherever possible, books and other educational materials received from British schools, libraries, private households and any other source that may be otherwise be disposed of as waste in order that such materials may have a second life in the hands of the society's beneficiaries abroad.

Founded
Headquarters
Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Foundation type
SCIO

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar education in United Kingdom
Integrity Assessment This charity: 41
Peer average: 86

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for Charity Commission removal, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Books Abroad has a substantially complete profile, sourced from OSCR.

  • Established in 1982, it predates 87% of the education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar has a founding year for. View this cohort
  • GiveRadar holds 5 years of financial filings for this organization, the most recent for fiscal year 2024. See the filings
  • Its integrity score of 41 is below most of the 87,708 education charities in the United Kingdom GiveRadar tracks. GiveRadar bases this on limited verified information so far, with little on record for its governance. Explore United Kingdom data
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • leadership details (present for 78% of comparable organizations)
  • third-party accreditation
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Books Abroad is a registered education nonprofit based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. It was founded in 1982 and has been operating for 44 years. Its registration number is SC011359. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 41/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports £107K in annual revenue.

Books Abroad's official registration number is SC011359, as recorded in the national registry of United Kingdom.

Books Abroad has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 41/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 41 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for education charities in United Kingdom is 86/100.

Books Abroad is located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. The organization was established in 1982 and has been active for 44 years.

Based on official tax filings, Books Abroad has £107K in annual revenue. Its revenue is below the peer average of £994K. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Books Abroad is classified as an Education organization, registered in United Kingdom. It operates as a SCIO. It has £107K in annual revenue.

According to GiveRadar's records, Books Abroad is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales and overseen by the Charity Commission. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Book donations are received from schools, colleges, universities & book publishers to distribute and recycle by sending them to schools and other institutions in developing countries 'the advancement of education' 4.1 To propagate and maintain literacy and education in all its branches and at all levels, by any lawful means in any area of the world where lack of resources would otherwise be an obstacle to its achievement. 4.2 To re-use wherever possible, books and other educational materials received from British schools, libraries, private households and any other source that may be otherwise be disposed of as waste in order that such materials may have a second life in the... Books Abroad is classified as an education organization registered in United Kingdom. The organization was founded in 1982.

Among education charities registered in United Kingdom: Its annual revenue of £107K is below the peer average of £994K.

You can verify Books Abroad in several ways. First, search the Charity Commission Register at https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/ - every charity registered in England and Wales appears here with its registration number, trustees, governing document, and filed accounts. Second, check whether the charity's annual return and accounts are up to date - the Commission flags charities with overdue filings. Third, look for the Fundraising Regulator badge on the charity's website, which signals voluntary compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice.

You can donate to Books Abroad directly through its donation page (https://www.booksabroad.org.uk/donate-books/). UK charities typically accept online card payments, direct debit, and bank transfer. Many also use platforms such as JustGiving or Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). If you are a UK taxpayer, make sure to tick the Gift Aid box: it lets the charity reclaim 25p from HMRC for every pound you give at no extra cost to you. Higher-rate taxpayers can claim back the difference between basic-rate and their marginal rate through Self Assessment. Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn) lets you donate pre-tax through your employer.

Donations to Books Abroad are eligible for Gift Aid if you are a UK income-tax or capital-gains-tax payer. Gift Aid adds 25% to your donation at no cost to you (the charity reclaims basic-rate tax from HMRC). Higher-rate and additional-rate taxpayers can also claim back the difference through Self Assessment or by adjusting their PAYE tax code. Gifts of shares, property, or land to charity are free of Capital Gains Tax and can be deducted from your income for Income Tax purposes. Legacy gifts (in your will) reduce the value of your estate for Inheritance Tax and can lower the IHT rate from 40% to 36% if you leave at least 10% to charity.

Books Abroad is based in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) is the primary regulator. Scotland has its own regulator (OSCR), and Northern Ireland has the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland (CCNI). A charity registered with the CCEW may operate across the whole of the UK or internationally.

Books Abroad was first registered in 1982, making it approximately 44 years old. UK charities must file an annual return with the Charity Commission to remain on the register. A long registration history generally indicates sustained operations and continuous regulatory compliance.

Annual revenue
£100K-£1M
Source: oscr (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from oscr (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
2
Still gathering leadership data

We check government filings and charity disclosures quarterly. If you represent this charity, claim this page to add officers directly.

Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
£0.1M revenue
FY2024
OSCR
Form filed
£0.1M revenue
FY2023
OSCR
Form filed
£0.1M revenue
FY2022
OSCR
Form filed
£0.1M revenue
FY2021
OSCR
Form filed
£0.1M revenue
FY2020
OSCR

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Cause areas in United Kingdom

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Education this charity 87,646
Health 28,382
Religion 22,146
Arts & Culture 21,802
Community Development 10,738
Environment 5,683
Social Services 4,899
Youth Development 4,637
See all cause areas in United Kingdom

Most common causes in United Kingdom

Causes charities work on most.

Education 54,780
Arts & Culture 17,729
Disability 17,106
Religion 16,671
Health 15,045
Poverty 14,062
Community Development 11,486
Cultural Heritage 8,526

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Charity Commission for England and Wales - Register of Charities
Financial filings
Charity Commission annual returns - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 17, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 17, 2026
Profile completeness
65%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 7
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1982
Not available · 4
  • Named leadership
    Board and officer list not yet indexed
  • Executive pay
    Top-officer pay not disclosed
  • Mission statement
    No self-published statement of purpose
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Books Abroad

What is Books Abroad?
Books Abroad is a education scio based in Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom. Book donations are received from schools, colleges, universities & book publishers to distribute and recycle by sending them to schools and other institutions in developing countries 'the advancement of education' 4.1 To propagate and maintain literacy and education in all its branches and at all levels, by any lawful means in any area of the world where lack of resources would otherwise be an obstacle to its achievement. 4.2 To re-use wherever possible, books and other educational materials received from British schools, libraries, private households and any other source that may be otherwise be disposed of as waste in order that such materials may have a second life in the hands of the society's beneficiaries abroad.
When was Books Abroad founded?
Books Abroad was founded in 1982.
Where is Books Abroad located?
Headquartered in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.
What is Books Abroad's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately £100K-£1M.
Is Books Abroad trustworthy?
Books Abroad has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 41 out of 100 (Partial transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Books Abroad's registration number?
Registration: SC011359 (United Kingdom).
What is Books Abroad's website?
https://www.booksabroad.org.uk
Are donations to Books Abroad tax-deductible?
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United Kingdom under local rules. US donors should check whether the charity has an equivalency-determination letter or a US-based fiscal sponsor before claiming a deduction.