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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for charitable giving
- Create closer relationships with loyal donors
- Build trust through transparency
- Unlock potential of young donors
- Market dynamics and outlook
- The number of charities increased slightly in 2024
- Graph 1: number of charities in England and Wales, 2013-24
- A sustained decline in volunteering rates
- Graph 2: participation in formal volunteering, England, 2013-23
- Many households are still feeling squeezed
- Graph 3: financial wellbeing index, 2014-24
- What consumers want and why
- Donation levels are consistent
- Donors vary in the amount they give
- Graph 4: amount donated to charity in the last six months (NET), 2024
- Donors are swayed by personal connection to charities
- Cash is critical for charities
- Graph 5: method of donation to charitable causes in the last six months, 2024
- Donors want closer relationships with the causes they support
- Graph 6: charitable giving behaviours, 2024
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Market Dynamics
- The market
- There are over 170,000 charities operating in England and Wales
- Graph 7: number of charities in England and Wales, 2013-24
- Two in five charities raise less than £10k a year
- A post-pandemic decline in volunteering
- Graph 8: participation in formal volunteering, England, 2013-23
- Market drivers
- Inflation is down, but its effects are still being felt
- Graph 9: CPI inflation rate, 2021-24
- Charities face prolonged financial strains
- Financial wellbeing is fragile
- Graph 10: financial wellbeing index, 2014-24
- A complex picture of giving
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Donations to charitable causes
- Over two thirds of adults have donated to charity in the last six months
- Graph 11: charitable causes donated to in the last six months, 2024
- Donating is a stable habit for many
- Graph 12: proportion of consumers who have donated to charity in the last six months, 2020-24
- Donations to international aid falls from 2022 high
- Donor rates drop among middle-age adults
- Graph 13: donation to charity in the last six months (NET), by age, 2024
- Financial situation impacts support for charities
- Graph 14: donated money to charity in the last six months (NET), by financial situation, 2024
- Donors prefer to focus efforts on one charitable cause
- Charities should focus on building a loyal community of donors
- Graph 15: repertoire analysis of the types of charitable causes donated to in the last six months, 2024
- Amount donated to charitable causes
- Donors are split in the amount they are giving
- Graph 16: amount donated to charity in the last six months, 2024
- Donation amounts have been consistent over the past two years
- Graph 17: amount donated to charity in the last six months, 2023-24
- Encourage donors to increase donations year on year
- Micro-donations are key to engaging donors across the income scale
- Graph 18: amount donated to charity in the last six months (NET), by annual household income, 2024
- The majority of donors are consistent in their amounts
- Graph 19: changes in donation amount in the last six months compared to the previous six months, by age, 2024
- Barriers to donating
- Affordability is the biggest barrier
- Graph 20: reasons for not donating to charity in the last six months, 2024
- The charity sector still faces some trust issues
- Charities should represent authenticity and transparency to tackle misinformation
- How donors hear about charitable causes
- Donors prefer charities with a personal connection
- Graph 21: how donors have heard about the charitable cause(s) they have donated to in the last six months, 2024
- Continue to tell personal, human stories
- The public can feel pressured by fundraisers
- Face-to-face interactions can drive donations
- Routes to engagement differ by donor group
- Graph 22: how donors have heard about charitable causes they have donated to in the last six months, by age, 2024
- Social media helps put a face to a name for charities
- Method of donation
- Cash is still a firm favourite for donations
- Graph 23: method of donation to charitable causes in the last six months, 2024
- Cash offers specific benefits for donors
- Comfort with contactless donation rises
- The rigidity and commitment of direct debit drives decline
- Graph 24: donors who have donated via direct debit/standing order in the last six months, by amount donated in the last six months, 2024
- Donors seek out the flexibility of multiple donating methods
- Graph 25: repertoire analysis of number of methods used to donate to charity in the last six months, 2024
- Digital donations will become more important
- Graph 26: method of donation in the last six months, by age, 2024
- Other charitable activities
- Three quarters of Brits have participated in a charitable activity recently in the last six months
- Graph 27: charitable activities done in the last six months, 2024
- Charity shopping holds a wide appeal
- Graph 28: charitable activities participated in the last six months, by financial situation, 2024
- Celebrate multi-uses of charity shops
- Oxfam elevates second hand shopping
- Sell benefits of volunteering to Gen Z
- Graph 29: adults who have volunteered for a charitable cause in the last six months, 2024
- Attitudes towards charitable giving
- Donors want deeper engagement with the causes they support
- Graph 30: charitable giving behaviours, 2024
- Boost trust and donations through building a more personal relationship with donors
- Graph 31: “Receiving updates on the impact of my contributions would make me more inclined to donate to a charitable cause again”, by amount donated in the last six months (NET), 2024
- Consider sharing frequent updates on charity actions
- Two in five adults are interested in legacy giving
- Raise awareness of legacy giving to convince the undecided
- Graph 32: “I would like to include/have included a charitable cause in my will”, by age, 2024
- The Salvation Army encourages legacy giving for all charities
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Advertising spend set to decline in 2024
- Graph 33: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by charities, 2020-24
- TV dominates charity advertising spend
- Graph 34: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure by charities, by media type, 2020-24
- Charities utilise greater reach of TV advertising
- Major charities are the biggest spenders on advertising
- Cancer Research UK consistently spends the most on advertising
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Appendix
- Supplementary data
- Charities by income band in England and Wales, 2024
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Snoop methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Many charities report an extremely difficult operating environment. Organisations have had to manage higher operational costs, including for goods, services, energy bills and staffing costs, and a strain on personal finances has limited donors’ ability to donate.
UK Charity Market – Current Landscape
Charities are navigating a challenging landscape. Potential donors’ finances are still feeling the squeeze, charities face higher operational costs and, for many, higher demand for services from vulnerable groups. Many organisations are further strained by significant recruitment challenges.
Mintel data indicates that the number of donors and the amount donated to charity in the previous six months remains stable. However, with high levels of inflation in recent years, the real value of donations has eroded. If charities are not able to get donors to reconsider the amount they normally give, this problem will continue to worsen.
However, donors are keen to forge deeper connections with the causes they support. Many prefer to focus their efforts and contributions on one cause rather than across multiple charities.
UK Charity Market Statistics
- UK charity market size: As of March 2024, 170,056 charities were registered in England and Wales, representing a marginal increase from 2023
- UK charity market consumer behaviour: 62% of donors prefer to regularly donate to the same charitable cause than donate to multiple different causes.
- Consumer motivations in the UK charity market: 54% of adults engaged with charities agree that receiving updates on the impact of their donations would motivate them to give again.
UK Charity Market Report – What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- Key opportunities for charities, including fostering a loyal donor base and unlocking the potential of young donors.
- The impact of financial situation on donating capability, and how charities can engage donors across the income scale.
- How donors hear about charitable causes donated to, including the influence of social media on young donors.
- How donors donate to charity, including the importance of cash donations and changing preferences.
- The key barriers to donating to charity, including being unable to afford to and a lack of trust in charities.
Report Scope
This Report examines consumers’ giving behaviour, participation in charitable activities, and attitudes towards charitable giving.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
Francesca joined Mintel in September 2021 as a Market Research Analyst in the Consumer Lifestyles Research team with previous experience in market analysis, market research and knowledge of consumer trends. Francesca holds a First Class BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology.
Download Report SummaryDonors are seeking closer relationships with the causes they support. Charities should open up communication, increase transparency and share impacts of donations.
Francesca Smith
Senior Research Analyst – Consumer Lifestyles
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