trends in uk charitable giving & engagement
55% of adults give to charity within a typical month
£10 is the typical amount p/m.
Women are more likely to give to charity than men (58% compared to 52%).
Women aged 45-64, and women aged 65 or more are the groups mostly to give (62%).
‘Medical research’, ‘hospitals and hospices’ and ‘children and young people’ continue to attract the highest proportions of donors.
Children's causes account for 11% of total giving.
All figures are from a 2012 report, here.
From our conversations in class it's clear that many people of our generation feel skeptical about the efficacy of charity organizations. Perhaps this cynicism is the result of a few well-publicized scandals, but it was striking to me how negative the tone seemed. Many felt "manipulated" and "deceived." In the past I've used Charity Navigator when deciding where to donate, but there doesn't appear to be an equivalent tool for rating UK charities--separating the good from the bad.
In contrast, a recent survey on the value of charity in British households, found that 93% of respondents had used some charitable service at some time in the past. Half of households had used a service in the last month. Also:
68% rated the role of charities as highly important.
Those with the highest recorded incomes (over £55,000) are more likely to use multiple charity services: an average of 3.9 used in the last 12 months.
75% of respondents 18-24 had used some form of charitable services over the past 12 months (ex. purchasing an item from a charity shop, visiting a charity-run museum, getting advice from a charity-run website, etc.)
Perceived impacts of charitable services included: increased diversity, more vibrant community life and community pride.
Benefits from volunteering for a charity: meet new people/new friends, broadens life experiences, use skills.
The 2014 Charity Street report can be found here.
An interesting infographic comparing US & UK cultures of giving. The US gives more per capita, and not surprisingly, more to religious causes. The UK seems to give to a more diverse collection of causes and to medical research.
