# Loose change worth £320 million in donations in 2017

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/05/16/loose-change-worth-320m-donations-2017/
- Published: 2018-05-16T07:10:14+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**People donate more than £300 million a year in loose change to charity, according
to new research from the Charities Aid Foundation.**

A survey of 1,123 people, carried out by YouGov on behalf of the [Charities Aid Foundation](https://www.cafonline.org/)(
CAF), found that people gave an estimated £320 million in loose change to charity
last year.

The survey found that nearly two-thirds of women (65%) said they had donated loose
change compared to 55% of men surveyed. However, the men who donated loose change
generally gave away more – an average of £20.75 during a year compared to £10.76
given by women.

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Overall CAF’s annual [UK Giving survey](https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/media-office-news/fewer-people-are-giving-but-they-re-giving-more),
which asks over 12,000 people about their giving habits throughout the year, shows
that cash remains the most popular way for people to give despite the rise of giving
online and by direct debit.

Susan Pinkney, Head of Research at Charities Aid Foundation, said:

> “It’s brilliant that people donate millions of pounds a year in loose change –
> money put into collection tins or spent at charity stalls across the length and
> breadth of the UK.
> “Cash is still by far the most common way people donate to charity, and nothing
> is easier than putting your hand in your pocket and putting a few coins into a
> collection.
> “But we know that overall, cash transactions are falling. So if cash becomes less
> and less popular in the future it’s vital that the Government works with charities
> and the payment industry to make sure giving remains as easy as tapping a card
> or putting a few coins in a tin.”

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