The number of people giving to charity in the UK has fallen sharply over the past two years despite the return of in-person fundraising, a survey shows.
The drop in donations is a “worrying trend,” the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) said.
According to CAF, 4.9 million fewer people donated to charity or sponsored someone earlier this year compared to 2019.
But people have donated larger than usual amounts in response to the Ukraine crisis.
The CAF, an advisory group for the sector, said the average donation rose to £85 in March, the highest the organization has recorded, with around a third of people donating to the cause.
“Despite the tremendous generosity of the public in supporting charities helping people in Ukraine, our research shows a very worrying trend that fewer people are giving to charities overall,” said Neil Heslop, chief executive officer of the group.
He said overall the amount donated has also fallen, despite the return of fundraising opportunities like coffee mornings and marathons after the pandemic.
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Sam Mercadante of the National Council for Voluntary Organizations described it as a “crass image”.
“Charities are being pressured by the cost of living crisis: more people are seeking support, donations are declining and inflation is eroding the value of income,” she said.
Among those surveyed between January and April 2022, only 57% said they had donated or sponsored someone in the past 12 months, compared to 65% for the same period in 2019.
That indicated that despite a surge in donations early in the pandemic, donor behavior had returned to its previous downward trend, the CAF said.
- Estimated £10.7bn for charity in 2021 compared to £11.3bn in 2020
- As of early 2022, 57% of people said they had donated to charity, up from 62% in 2019
- The most popular cause is animal welfare, with 28% of donors supporting charities in this area
- Support for conservation and the environment has increased over the past five years
The figures are based on the monthly CAF survey
The CAF conducts monthly charitable giving surveys by surveying thousands of people and then calculating estimates for the entire population.
The latest report highlights the triple pressures on the sector. The cost-of-living crisis, which has seen prices rise so rapidly for 40 years, has prompted people to make cuts, including on charitable donations. Their survey suggests that one in 12 people had already decided not to donate, while one in eight said they were likely to save in this area.
In addition, the costs for the charities themselves increased, including through higher energy bills and staff costs.
For many charities, this comes at a time of increased demand for their services.
CAF’s estimates do not include funds raised through commercial activities such as charity shops. However, charities that do business are struggling with the fallout from closures and a drop in the number of volunteers.
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