The British Red Cross is the most improved charity over the last year according to donors, research has revealed.

The YouGov Charity Index Ratings highlights the best performing charities according to which good causes donors are likely to support when surveyed over the last year.

This gives the British Red Cross a score of 26.6, up 3.0 points on last year season, the highest jump of any charity looked at.

Recent campaigns by the charity include highlighting the challenges faced by Ukrainians at home, and as refugees in the UK, since Russia’s attack on their country.



It has also been involved in lobbying the UK government around its refugee and asylum seeker policies.

In addition, British Red Cross has been one of several international aid charities to look to raise money to support communities impacted by global disasters including floods in Pakistan.

A British Red Cross spokesperson said: "We’re really pleased to see such an uplift in people’s consideration to donate to British Red Cross this year. This has been largely due to the unique role that we as an organisation have held in Ukraine and the subsequent emergency appeal that we opened.

"Thanks to the generosity of supporters donating directly to our Ukraine appeal, over 14.5 million people affected by the conflict have now received vital help."

The second most improved is UNICEF, whose score among donors has increased by 2.7 points from 17.5 last year to 20.2 this year.

It’s recent campaigning includes highlighting the plight of children caught in conflict in Yemen and around the treatment of girls in Afghanistan. Supporting communities impacted by Pakistan’s flood affected areas has been another focus of its fundraising.

Another international aid charity in the top 10 most improved list is Oxfam in eighth place. Its ranking has increased from 27.7 to 28.8.

Food bank charity The Trussell Trust is the third most improved charity, increasing its score from 13.5 last year to 15.6 in 2023.

Its campaigning has included calling on the government to ensure benefits cover “life’s essentials” and highlighting the poverty faced among disadvantaged people, who have only £248 a month on average after housing costs “to survive on”.

“That money needs to cover energy and water costs, council tax, food, and other essentials. This is unacceptable,” warns the charity’s campaigning.



There is also a strong focus on medical charities among the rest of the top ten. Blood Cancer UK, Young Lives vs Cancer, British Heart Foundation, and Prostate Cancer UK also grab a top ten most improved charity place.

Also mentioned is the RSPCA, in ninth place and Children in Need in tenth.

Most popular charities

YouGov also looked at the top ranked charities overall, with Macmillan Cancer Support mentioned most frequently by donors, with a score of 43.1. Cancer Research UK is second.

The charities to feature in both the top ten performers and top ten improvers lists are British Heart Foundation, RSPCA and Children in Need.

“The charities in the YouGov UK Charity rankings 2023 were ranked using the Donor Consideration score - a daily measure of which charities the nation would likely donate to tomorrow,” said the polling firm.

“The top ranked rankings chart shows the brands with the highest average Donor Consideration score between January 1st and December 31st, 2022. The scores are representative of the general population of adults 18+.

“The top improvers rankings chart shows the brands with the highest increase in Donor Consideration score comparing January 1st to December 31st, 2021, and January 1st to December 31st, 2022.”

Donor motivation

Meanwhile, separate research carried out by YouGov among a sample of 100 adults and commissioned by creative agency Motive, found that more than half of donors said they gave because they believed in its cause. Meanwhile, 12% said they had personal experience of donating.

This research also found that Yorkshire and the Humber has the highest proportion of donors (14%), and 68% of donations were made by donors aged 51 and over.

Male donors over the age of 55 are the most likely group to donate, with 34% reporting making charitable donations over the last year.

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