Number of people giving at lowest level for 10 years
Melanie May | 19 June 2020 | News
Statistics released by nfpSynergy this week showed that the number of people giving recently dropped to its lowest level in 10 years.
The figures from nfpSynergy show that in late May, 60% of the public said they had donated to charity in the last three months, down from 69% in January this year. 60% is the lowest overall level since it started asking this question in 2011.
Unsurprisingly, charity shops and on-street collections have posted the biggest drops in giving.
38% of the public also say they plan to cut back on their charitable spending in the next 12 months.
However:
- Giving on a charity website and via text message are at their highest levels since nfpSynergy started tracking this question
- The public say they are almost twice as likely to cut back on eating out than donating to charity
- Over 65s are the least likely to say they will cut back on their charitable spending at 22%
- The average amount given over the last 3 months has risen from £50 in January to £67.70 in May
nfpSynergy’s recent Covid-19 polling has also shown that the public are very receptive to the idea of giving to charity at this time. 60% of the public said they would be willing to support a charity responding to coronavirus and 68% said they think charities should continue to fundraise during the pandemic.
The much lower proportion of the public who say they are donating reflects the role of asking in encouraging people to give, says nfpSynergy’s Tim Harrison Byrne in his blog announcing the findings. He said:
“If less people are being asked fewer opportunities the public has to give; charity shops aren’t open, fundraising events have been cancelled and street fundraising has stopped.”
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.