# Charities supporting three times as many people with essential aid, research finds

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/07/07/charities-supporting-three-times-as-many-people-with-essential-aid-research-finds-2/
- Published: 2025-07-07T13:06:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Charity Commission has published its annual public and trustee research, revealing
a stark long-term rise in people seeking charitable support amid continued high 
levels of public trust in charities.**

The Commission’s annual survey of public attitudes to charities reveals that in 
the last year 9% of people received food, medical or financial support from charitable
organisations, compared to just 3% five years ago.

While demand for such services has risen dramatically, the Commission’s research
shows that charities themselves are feeling increased financial pressure.

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Over the same five-year period, the proportion of people who said they’d donated
to, or raised funds for charity in the past year, fell from 62% to 48% as households
have felt the pinch.

Nearly half of charity trustees said their charity had been forced to make changes
as a result of cost-of-living pressures in the past year (46%). This included stopping
some services (11%) and using more of their reserves than expected (17%).

Against the backdrop of these challenges, public trust in charities remains high,
with almost 60% of people reporting high trust in charities – placing them second
only to doctors among trusted institutions.

The research indicated that public confidence in charitable spending has improved,
with over 6 in 10 people believing donations are reaching the intended cause. This
confidence has risen by 7 percentage points in 12 months.

In other findings, the research suggested that charities’ campaigning activities
are unlikely to diminish public support – and for nearly half, may increase it. 
Fewer than 1 in 20 said they would be less likely to support a charity that campaigned.

In the Commission’s annual survey of trustees, there are signs of slight improvement
in banking services. The research found that 38% of trustees reported problems with
their charity’s bank, down from 42% in 2024.

Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, said:

> “These findings highlight the central role of the charitable sector at a time 
> of significant pressures in wider society. Charities are providing a vital lifeline
> to ever more people, while simultaneously navigating their own financial challenges
> as donors feel the pinch. The data paints both a challenging picture and a hopeful
> one – showing a sector that continues to be a bedrock of support and community
> for people across the country.”

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