Financial News
- 13 November 2012, 12:10
Charity Donations Fall 20% In The UK
Public donations to charity fell by 20% last year, with good causes receiving £1.7bn less, according to a survey.
The study for the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) found that the amount donated also declined, from £11 to £10 a month.
Both groups warned that charities were facing a "deeply worrying" financial situation, with some being forced to cut back frontline services and make redundancies, or even facing closure because of a fall in income.
They have launched the Back Britain's Charities campaign, which calls on the Government to modernise Gift Aid and ensure public bodies do not disproportionately cut funding to charities when making budget savings.
Data from 3,000 people found that the total given to charity by members of the public in the UK fell from £11bn to £9.3bn in 2011/12.
Taking inflation into account, that reduction is the equivalent of a £2.3bn fall in donations - more than 20% of total donations in the UK by individuals.
The survey found 28.4 million people gave to charity in the same period - 58% of them women.
Medical research, hospitals and hospices, and children and young people were the most popular causes among donors, but religious causes received the largest average donations.
CAF chief executive John Low said: "The drop in giving shown by our survey is deeply worrying for those charities which rely on donations to provide vital frontline services.
"We hope the fall in giving shown in our survey is a temporary decline and not the start of a damaging trend."
what do you think?
stevie may
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Juliecrumpton1234
Another thing about charities is they are never content to receive what you can afford, we were giving £2 month to nspcc, it was all we could afford, we had many cold calls trying to get us to up the donation, in the finish we stopped it, no,it wasn't a large donation, but it was better than nothing, the trouble is other people probably feel the same as us....or, they are put on guilt trips to donate extra money they cannot afford....
john
I fail to see what good the NSPCC actually does Julie, when my dear parents were kicking seven bells out of me in the family home when I was young there was no one to save me.
Tara Dunn
Some of the people actually stood collecting look at you gone out aswell when you put your loose change in a box, as if to say, you tight person.
Dave Harrison
Tara. These people aren't called Chuggers (Charity muggers) for nothing.I became very selective years ago when the Oxfam CEO got a 250,000 pay off on leaving the organisation, no doubt all gathered thru collecting boxes.
chris
The NSPCC and RSPCA are very professional at 'raising f u n ds' thru highly emotive visual advertising. Well they must keep their pension pot topped up!
Juliecrumpton1234
Tough childhood, John, me too....makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Grant Baines
Maybe, just maybe, this fall in charitable donations may have something to do with our ever increasing utility bills, transport costs, tax burden, grocery bills, mortgage/rent, digital software costs and general lack of any disposable income anymore
Dave Harrison
Hardly a surprise. In these days when money is tight charity begins at home.
Peter Coates
Charity chiefs will have to give up their mercs then. Off course we could always get the bbc management to contribute their millions of our money to charity.
Windows Live User
Didnt take expensive research to figure out that this would happen. I can tell them now that it will fall again next year!
Jonathan Goodwin-Self
And the Sterling is collapsing on every currency in the entire world.
simon williams
TO ME ITS THERE OWN FAULT. I WENT IN ONE CHARITY SHOP THE OTHER DAY AND THERE PRICES ARE UNREAL THEY HAVE STUFF FOR NOTHING AND CHARGE ALOT. LIKE THE HEART FOUNDTION SHOP SECOND HAND 3 PIECE OVER £200 HUNDREAD POUND I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. TO ME THERE GETTING GREADY. THEY SUPOSE TO BE THERE FOR PEOPLE THATS POOR AND TO HELP US. THEY DERSERVE WHAT THEY GET. THERE WAS ONE MAN HAVING A GO THEY WANTED £20 POUND FOR A SECOND HAND PAIR OF SHOES I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT. AND IF THERE READING THIS GOOD TRY TO LOWER YOUR PRICES . THERES ALOT OF PEOPLE POOR NOW MORE THAN EVER. SO ME THEY TAKE THE MICK
Brian Holmes
I got a shock in our local Tesco the other night. A roll of bin bags had doubled in price. My favourite biscuits were £1.14 and are now £1.65. A loaf of bread that had been £1.24 is now £1.49. All the bags of salted peanuts are pumped full of air so you can't tell how much they contain and the price is climbing fast. Cat food is being pushed to the limit at almost £5 per box for some variaties. New lines are being promoted as "Price Drop" (there's one for Trading Standards). Every Little Helps - I bet it does! Is it any wonder charities are feeling the pinch?
Michael Hawkins
Brian - EVERY LITTLE HELPS TESCOS PRoFIT
the massons
I can't say i'm surprised, when we learn that our government are handing away 280m a year in aid to a country that is thriving (as a whole) , spends millions on defence yet still gives France a 13 billion jet contract instead of us! No wander people are keeping their money.
Robbie369P .
It would help if you were not accosted in town centres every 5 mins by a hoody, then getting a mouthful if you say no thanks.
Peter Coates
Bet the organisers don't get rid of their mercs.
Michael Hawkins
Peoples shopping habits and payment method have changed. I now shop on line where possible, I do not carry cash paying everything by card, when out and about I have no means of paying into collection boxes I pay a fixed amount into a couple of work related charities charities each year, but no longer give the extra to street collectors
Tara Dunn
8:23am on 13/11/2012
Sorry to say this, but Charity is starting to begin at home now. The days have gone where people would throw into collecting bowls in the street, as that £1 or 2 is more effective buying a loaf of bread or bottle of milk now.