# Cancer remains UK public’s favourite cause, says nfpSynergy

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/10/11/cancer-remains-uk-publics-favourite-cause-says-nfpsynergy/
- Published: 2016-10-11T09:16:28+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Cancer remains the public’s favourite cause, selected by 48% across all age groups,
followed by animals, and children and young people, according to research from [nfpSynergy](http://nfpsynergy.net/).**

 

In fact, [_Facts and Figures – Public’s Favourite Causes 2016_](http://nfpsynergy.net/free-report/facts-and-figures-publics-favourite-causes)
shows that the top five favourite causes of cancer, animals (34%), children and 
young people (29%), hospices, and health and medical (excluding cancer) have remained
the same since 2010, although other causes are rising in popularity, such as the
UK Armed Forces.

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However, despite cancer being the most popular cause, it does not attract the largest
proportion of public donations. While overall the top five favourite causes received
the highest proportion of individual donations in 2015, the cause that attracts 
the most individual donations is children and young people (30%), ahead of medical
research this year (29%) for the first time. This is despite a decline in popularity
of children and young people’s charities, which has dropped from second to third
place this year.

 

The research also shows that:

 

 * Older people are more likely to support causes that affect older people, while
   young people are more likely to support children and young person’s charities.
 * Children and young people are the public’s third most popular cause, and have
   surpassed medical research to attract the largest proportion of individual donations
   since 2015.
 * Support for homelessness and social welfare causes has increased significantly
   over the last 10 years.
 * The four least popular causes have also remained the same, including dementia,
   which is favoured by 9%, down from last year’s 14%.

 

nfpSynergy found that most causes are fairly equal in popularity amongst males and
females, with two notable exceptions. While both male and females picked the same
top three causes (cancer, animals and children and young people), men are slightly
more likely to favour armed forces causes. 21% of men picked armed forces causes,
compared to 17% of women.

 

Women are also far more likely to favour animal charities than men (40% and 28% 
respectively), while social grade, household income and political opinion do not
seem to have much of an effect on people’s choices of favourite charities.

 * **[Public irritation declines as barrier to giving, says nfpSynergy report](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/10/25/public-irritation-declines-barrier-giving-says-nfpsynergy-report/)**(
   25 October 2016)
 * **[Connection to a cause is biggest influencer to giving, says Givey report](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/11/24/connection-cause-biggest-influencer-giving-says-givey-report/)**(
   24 November 2016)
 * **[Donations may become smaller & more ad hoc suggests Pennies research](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/03/14/donations-may-become-smaller-ad-hoc-suggests-pennies-research/)**(
   14 March 2017)

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