![[ad] The Great Fundraising Masterclass, Revolutionise. Dublin and London, September 2026](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Banner-Ad-728x90-1.png.webp)
‘Top up’ disclosures having “devastating” effect on donations
Howard Lake | 18 December 2013 | News
The fallout from the recent revelations about salary ‘top ups’ being paid from charitable funds has reduced the likelihood that many Irish people will give to charity, according to a poll for the Irish Times.
When asked if they were more or less likely to contribute to charity following the revelations, 69% of respondents said they were less likely to donate while 23% said it would make no difference.
The poll also found that there was almost total opposition to paying salary top ups from charitable funds.
Advertisement
Last week Fundraising Ireland CEO Anne Hanniffy said that some charities were reporting a 40% drop in donations and were receiving many telephone calls cancelling donations.
“There is no denying but that this is one of the most serious periods faced by the Irish non-profit sector”
said Ms Hanniffy.
Ms Hanniffy said that two weeks of a series of revelations about donations being used to top up salaries was having a “devastating impact on the sector”.
The Irish Times poll was conducted on 9 and 10 December amongst 1,000 voters across Ireland.
Photo: euro coins in closed off pipeline by GTS on Shutterstock.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.