# Irish give more to support the homeless than any other country

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/03/05/irish-give-more-to-support-the-homeless-than-any-other-country/
- Published: 2020-03-05T09:00:56+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Homelessness is the number one cause donated to by the Irish, according to a Charities
Aid Foundation study of giving trends in Ireland.**

[The study](https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2020-publications/ireland-giving-2020),
carried out in partnership with [Philanthropy Ireland](http://philanthropy.ie/),
is [CAF’s](https://www.cafonline.org/) first comprehensive look at giving in Ireland,
and shows that the Irish are consistently among the world’s most generous countries
as well as more likely than elsewhere to help the homeless, with more than one in
three (35%) listing it as the cause to which they had recently donated.

Charities helping children and young people were the second most popular cause at
30%, followed by hospitals and hospices at 28%.

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The survey also found higher than average levels of trust in charities among the
public.

Findings include:

 * Nine out of ten (**90%**) people in Ireland participated in at least one charitable
   or social action in the last year and more than seven in ten (**72%**) did so
   in the last four weeks.
 * Three fifths of people donated money to charity within the last year (**62%**)
   and just under two fifths sponsored someone for charity (**38%**).
 * The median amount of money donated in Ireland within the last four weeks was **
   €30**. The most common method of donating was cash (**68%** of donors).
 * Nearly a quarter of people in Ireland volunteered in the last year (b), with 
   the level of volunteering higher amongst women (**27% vs. 19% men**).
 * People were most likely to be asked for donations in person, whether on the street(**
   49%**), on the doorstep (**24%**) or through family and friends (29%).
 * More than half (**54%**) of people in Ireland either ‘strongly’ or ‘tend to’ 
   agree that most charities are trustworthy.

Ireland ranked 5^(th) in the recently released 10^(th) edition of the CAF World 
Giving Index, which examined generosity across the globe over the past decade. That
study found that 62% of Irish people had helped a stranger in the past month, 69%
had donated money to charity in the past year and 38% had volunteered their time.

Susan Pinkney, Head of Research at CAF, said:

> “Our aim at the Charities Aid Foundation is to grow giving in all its forms and
> this research demonstrates that Ireland starts from an enviable position. The 
> willingness of so many Irish people to help the homeless – the most vulnerable
> in our communities – speaks to a generosity of spirit that sets Ireland apart.
> We hope this report helps colleagues increase not only the amounts given, but 
> also levels of volunteering and social engagement across the country.”

Éilis Murray, CEO of Philanthropy Ireland said:

> “We welcome this report, which provides valuable insights into giving patterns
> in Ireland.  While it paints a picture of a generous country, it also points to
> opportunities for us to do more. This research provides a platform for conversations
> on how we can support and develop giving in Ireland. Can we shift the balance 
> from reactive giving to planned giving to create greater impact? I firmly believe
> we can.”

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