As people continue to attempt to rebuild their homes and businesses following the tragic floods throughout December 2015, charities are seeing a high response and strong growth in donations from the general public. It seems that UK residents are willing to dig deep to help a cause that is close to home, with total charitable income increasing by 7.5% in England and Wales in 2015 alone, according to Key Note’s new Charity Funding Market Update. Philanthropic donations are also higher than ever before as the richest 1% is giving something back, following in the footsteps of Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg. Meanwhile, spending in charity shops has been given a boost, as vintage fashionistas and designer clothing aficionados on a budget are rifling through these stores to grab a bargain piece.
Further to this, an element of peer pressure is driving social media giving through the roof. The recent Ice Bucket Challenge in 2014 has raised more than £7m to fight motor neurone disease in the UK, while the no-makeup selfie campaign generated £8m in donations in the first 6 days of its launch for Cancer Research UK. Virtual reality and near-field communication (NFC) technology are being integrated into charity campaigns to reach out to the tech-savvy generation, while spare change donation apps and payment methods are expected to be rolled out over the coming years, taking away the ‘shaming culture’ of small donations.
As a result of recent scandals, including the highly publicised Kids Company debacle, which have rocked the charity sector, there are calls for tighter regulations on and greater transparency within these organisations. The new Charities Bill is aiming to protect charities from future abuse; however, many charities have voiced concerns that it will give the Charity Commission too much power. While many are wary about the political implications on the third sector, it seems the UK’s care-giving culture will continue to boost charity funding over the coming years.
By Rachel Sharp
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Notes to editors:
Key Note’s 2016 Market Update, Charity Funding, analyses the market for charity funding in the UK.
Key Note Ltd has been providing commercially relevant market information to libraries, academia and businesses since 1978. With over 1,000 titles available across 22 market sectors, and new or updated titles published every month, Key Note is one of the UK’s most prolific and respected business information providers. Within the range, some reports are written in response to particular market conditions, whereas other reports will be produced regularly year on year.
Key Note’s 2016 Market Report, Charity Funding, is available to purchase from Key Note on 0845-504 0452, by e-mail at sales@keynote.co.uk or at www.keynote.co.uk, priced £575.