FTSE 100 corporate giving falls despite record profits
Howard Lake | 14 September 2026 | News
Charitable giving by Britain’s largest listed companies has nearly halved as a proportion of profits since 2009, according to the Charities Aid Foundation’s (CAF) annual Corporate Giving Report.
CAF’s analysis of the 100 largest companies on the London Stock Exchange found that FTSE 100 firms gave 1.7% of pre-tax profits to charity in the aftermath of the 2009 financial crisis, equivalent to £1.84 billion. That figure has fallen to 0.8%, or £1.69 billion, even though combined profits have almost doubled over the same period.
Inflation has widened the gap further. CAF calculates that donations would need to be 76% higher than current levels just to keep pace with inflation since 2009, and estimates charities have lost out on around £4 billion in real terms since inflation peaked in 2022.
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Most businesses give nothing
The picture beyond the FTSE 100 is little better. Just over a quarter (27%) of UK businesses support charities in any form, and only 17% give cash. This is despite two thirds of employees saying they would like their employer to give, and three quarters of consumers saying they feel more favourably towards businesses they see supporting local communities. Among non-donating businesses, only 18% cited lack of budget; 57% said they simply hadn’t considered it or saw no benefit.
CAF’s call to business and government
Mark Greer, CAF’s managing director, said businesses that had continued giving through the 2009 crisis were now “reducing budgets, withholding data or failing to recognise the role business can play in supporting society.”
He noted that had every FTSE 100 company donated 1% of profits last year, charities would have received an extra £1 billion. Years ago The One Per Cent Club of businesses in the UK invited other companies to follow in their footsteps. (This is different to the more recent concept of businesses commiting to donate 1% of their time, knowledge and income).
CAF is calling on government to require large companies to report giving consistently (a requirement scrapped in 2013), to pilot targeted tax reliefs for corporate donations, and to build social value into public procurement from January 2027. It wants corporates to anchor giving to a 1%-of-profits benchmark, embed it in workplace culture, and report impact transparently.
The full report is available from CAF.
Actions for policymakers to encourage giving.
- Government should require largeeconomically significant companies to report their charitable giving and community investment in a consistent, comparable way. Since previous requirements to report on giving were removed in 2013, there has been a lack of consistent measurement of giving.
- Government should pilot thematic targeted tax reliefs for corporate donations, starting with a relief for companies that support accredited charities helping young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) into education, employment or training.
- Government should ensure social value and procurement reforms reward meaningful partnerships with charities and community organisations. Forthcoming guidance for new rules on central government procurement from January 2027 should include social value scoring when giving to charities working on the Government’s priorities.
- Shape modern governance to support good business, including Companies House introducing model articles to make it easier for purpose‑driven companies to set up.
Actions for corporates to grow giving:
- Put giving on your leadership agenda so it is prioritised and anchored to a recognised benchmark such as 1% of pre-tax profits.
- Embed giving in your everyday culture by involving staff in choosing causes, offering payroll giving and volunteering and inviting customers to take part.
- Measure your impact and report it openly. Consistent reporting that pairs numbers with real stories builds trust and helps others learn from your lead.
Research background
The companies included in this analysis are those which were constituents of the FTSE 100 on 1 March 2026. All data is based on information supplied via a Charities Aid Foundation survey and/or correspondence to confirm levels of giving or is drawn from Annual Reports for financial years ending in 2025.
Ipsos, on behalf of Charities Aid Foundation, conducted a survey of 968 UK businesses with an annual turnover of £250,000 or more as part of its monthly Business Opinion Omnibus. Respondents were recruited from a specialist B2B panel, and interviews were conducted online between 1 and 16 April 2026.
Consumer findings are taken from a June 2026 survey of 1,052 representative members of the public. Employee findings are taken from similar public polling conducted during February, March and April 2026. In total, 1,599 employees were surveyed. All polls were conducted by YouGov on behalf of CAF.
- New Neighbourly Mark shows corporate giving (13 September 2026)
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.