Development Ratings

Director, Clive Nettleton, appointed in July 2007, was formerly director of Health Unlimited (see Development Ratings Report) for 15 years. He also worked for the Refugee Council and the International Secretariat of World University Service. After being banned by the apartheid government of South Africa for the publication of educational materials, he came to Britain as a refugee in 1979. Other staff have prior specialist experience as librarians and/or with NGOs.

£6m of donated books are accounted for as gifts-in-kind, both under income and expenses. They are valued at new (or 75% of new for second-hand books prior to 2007). An analysis using a 50% valuation for books does not significantly undermine the financial ratios: all ratios shown remain within or close to best practice ranges. Deterioration of ratios only occurs at a valuation of 25-30% of new, providing good financial reassurance.

Income and expenditure have varied over time. The charity’s focus does not easily fit within institutional development funding policies. The charity has expanded its corporate and individual giving programmes recently and reduced its operational staff to compensate. It plans to send the same number of books but to fewer countries. Other operational changes have been made to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Income growth is forecast to improve slightly.

In 2008 the largest percentage of books went to Uganda (16%) followed by Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Ethiopia, Namibia, Eritrea, Sri Lanka and Cameroon. Small numbers were sent to Somalia, the Gambia and Palestine. The split varies quite widely each year.

Funding sources (excluding donated books) include charitable trusts and NGOs, DfiD, private companies community sources (events and school-raised funds), and individuals. Donations from individuals have been on the increase.