Giving Trends

Summary of results of surveys carried out into giving trends

Background

In May 2005 Samaritans, supported by IPSOS, commissioned an independent survey into 'giving' trends throughout England.

The overall aim of the survey was to find out:

• How many people give to charity.
• How people decide to give to certain causes.
• Who gave to Tsunami and if they were encouraged or discouraged to give to other causes since.
• Do people perceive Samaritans service as valuable to the wider community for the service they provide to the wider community.
• How much would they be prepared to pay each month to keep their favourite charity open if it was faced with a cash crisis.
• How much would they be prepared to pay each month to keep Samaritans open if it was faced with a cash crisis.

Below are some of the key findings of the research:

• UK charity givers would give £4.22 to save their favourite charity from closing - the same cost as two Starbucks coffees.
• Two in five people do not currently make a regular charity donation.
• 1 in 5 people never give to charity.
• 75% of people feel that the Samaritans are important to the wider community for the service they provide to those in distress.
• 1 in 5 people believe that Samaritans doesn't need as much money as other charities because it is a volunteer organization.
• Over half of people asked had no idea how much it costs Samaritans to answer each call and over 10% believed that it cost as little as one penny.
• Almost half of people asked were willing to donate up to £6 to keep Samaritans open.
• Two thirds of people who gave for the first time to the Tsunami do not plan to give again.
• Over half of people choose which charity to donate to because they believe in what the charity does.
   
  Quantitative research was carried out bro bono by IPSOS research in May 2005. Over 1,000 men and women were surveyed across England and Scotland.

Social/ Gender and Regional Differences:

• Females are more charitable with 45% giving to charity each month (compared with only 45% of males).
• 1 in 5 of males (19%) does not give to charity at all compared with 16% of women.
• However, 17% of men gave to charity for the first time since Tsunami and 28% have considered giving since.
• Out of those who give regularly to charity each month, 34-44 year olds were those who also made the highest donation to Tsunami too (39%).
• The older generation is more generous with 50% of those over 65 giving to charity regularly. The younger generation (15-24 age group) has the highest proportion of those (24%) who have never given to charity.
• The younger age groups, have however been effected by events of Tsunami and 31% have considered giving to charity for the first time, while 13% have already.
• 38% of 15-24 year olds and 52% of 25-34 year olds also say they now have a greater understanding of the importance of charity work in disaster situations and one fifth have said they'll give more to charity as a result (19%).
• Northerners are more generous than those in the South. 53% of people in the North of England regularly give to charity while almost a third (27%) of Londoners has never given to charity. The figure is 20% in the South of England.
• The Tsunami also affected Londoners giving habits the most with 44% saying they will consider giving to charity for the first time as a result.
• The poor are also more generous than the rich when it comes to giving to charity. 35% of households with an income of under £25,000 have said they'll give more to charity this year as a result of the Tsunami, compared with just 6% of households earning more.
• Those with a household income of under £25,000 were also revealed as those willing to give the most to keep their favourite charity open if it were facing closure due to insufficient funds. 43% said they'd be willing to donate up to £5 a month.