The most popular good causes for charity supporters to donate to, as well as a decline in volunteering post Covid, have been revealed in official figures.
The government’s Community Life Survey for 2021/22 on charitable giving and volunteering has revealed that the most popular cause is medical research, with 21% giving to charities working in this field. This is broadly in line with the previous year’s figures.
The next popular, among 19% of respondents, is overseas and disaster relief. This is a 14% increase on the previous year and considers a raft of major disasters over 2021 and 2022, including start of the war in Ukraine and flooding in Pakistan.
With war continuing to ravage Ukraine and the enormity of the destruction caused by the Turkey and Syria earthquakes this area of giving is likely to grow further when figures for 2022/23 are released next year.
Meanwhile, 18% gave to hospitals and hospices, lower than the 24% who gave to these charities the previous year.
Completing the top five is animal welfare charities, supported by 16% of people, and religious charities, which are backed by 14%.
The charities with the lowest support include arts and museums, social clubs, military charities, rescue organisations and those supporting older people.
Environmental charities are also struggling to muster support, which less than one in ten (9%) backing those tackling climate change and supporting the environment.
When asked what would encourage them to give, 38% said there was nothing that could influence them.
Among those who can be persuaded to give, the most popular reason given (by 34% of respondents) was having more money. Around a quarter (24%) said they wanted to have confidence that the charity is using money effectively. Elsewhere 16% said they wanted to see if money is being spent locally.
Overall donating to charities is up on the previous year. Two thirds (66%) of people, which is approximately 30 million people, said they had given to good causes in the last four weeks in 2021/22, compared to 63% the previous year. However, this is down on pre-pandemic levels, with 75% giving in 2019/20, and substantially down on 2013/14’s record rate of 82%.
Chartered Institute of Fundraising director of policy and communications said that “I don’t believe” that there is nothing that would make them give more.
Instead “the real answer and one we can actually do something about” is “more and better fundraising”.
The figures also found that women (72%) are more likely than men (61%) to give in 2021/22, the figures also show.
Published today: the 2021/22 findings of the Community Life Survey. Topics include: volunteering, social cohesion, civic engagement and loneliness. Please see https://t.co/vBDiPxOKwt
— DCMS Insight (@DCMSInsight) February 28, 2023
Popular methods of giving
In addition, the Community Life Survey found that direct debit or standing order as well as buying from a charity shop or catalogue are the most popular form of giving, cited by almost a quarter (23%) of respondents. Collecting tins (17%) and buying raffle tickets (16%) are the next most popular. Donating online or via a website is marginally down from 18% in 2020/21 to 16% in 2021/22.
The government says these changes may reflect the easing of lockdown restrictions on charity shops post-Covid.
Last week digital fundraising platform goDonate revealed that four in ten one off online donations to charities are now made through digital wallets on mobile phones.
Record low volunteering
Regular formal volunteering, such as unpaid support to local communities groups and through mentoring or befriending, is at a record low, the Community Life survey figures have also shown.
In 2021/22 just 16% of people took part in this form of volunteering at least once a month over the last 12 months. This is down on the previous year’s figure of 17% and the lowest participation rates since the figures were recorded. They are also substantially down on pre pandemic level of 23% of adults in 2019/20.
Less regular volunteering is also down to a record low of 27% people giving up their time on a formal basis at least once in 2021/22. This is down on the previous year’s figure of 30% and tallies of between 36% and 45% between 2013/14 and 2019/20.
The think tank Reform has described the decline of volunteering post-Covid as “particularly worrying”.
Volunteer magistrate recruitment drive
The government is calling on charity workers to consider alternative ways of volunteering and becoming a magistrate. The Ministry of Justice is looking to add to the 12,000 strong cohort of volunteer magistrates in England and Wales. It says that the role offers transferrable skill that will be useful for charity workers, including mediation techniques and problem solving.
Among charities that supports staff to take up magistrate roles is Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Its head of people ad organisation development David Webber said: “As a charity, we know the powerful impact our amazing volunteers have on our organisation, through the time that they donate and the knowledge and expertise they offer to the Trust. In turn, we recognise that Cystic Fibrosis Trust itself gains from supporting our employees in volunteering and getting involved in activities and projects that benefit others, such as being a magistrate.
“Not only does advocating for this attract potential applicants who are caring and want to create positive change for their local community, it aids our current workforce to gain transferrable skills that benefit our day-to-day work.”
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