In a fit of post-Christmas good will and New Years resolutions a number of people turn their minds to raising money for Charities. Often through fitness challenges such as Marathons and Triathlons. Charities that support children and young people are the most popular to assist in the UK, along with medical and animal organisations.
A recent study of 2,000 adults found more than seven in ten of those polled believe it’s essential to give to charity, with almost 65 per cent wishing they could afford to give more to good causes. A third of Brits are more likely to donate to a charity if it has helped someone they know. And the same proportion feel more charitable if a friend or family member has suffered from a condition related to the charity.
Among the reasons people dig deep is the desire to help someone in need or seeing something upsetting on the news. More specifically, 25 per cent of respondents are driven by the desire to help others, while 36 per cent feel good when they give to charity. It also emerged that 62 per cent would be more likely to give if they knew their donation was to be matched, growing the impact of their gift.
“Our research confirms that the public recognises the key role charities play in our society and how important it is to give back.
We’re looking to make a huge difference this December, and for one week only, as part of our Christmas Challenge, our funding champions will double all donations made through The Big Give’s website.”
Jonathan Frank, director of The Big Give said:
The study also found that more people are choosing to give online from their mobile phones, a computer or via contactless, although 56 per cent still decide to give cash donations. And one-quarter of respondents are willing to commit to regular spend via direct debit throughout the year.
However, donating money isn’t the only way to give, over the past 12 months, one-fifth of adults have taken part in a sponsored event or activity. One-quarter have volunteered or given their time, while 12 per cent have organised a fundraising collection to gather donations. Almost one in six Brits have also given blood this year, with more than one in 10 having joined the organ donor list. This is something I have done for a long time and gain immense satisfaction from, receiving that message to say your blood has been used to save a life is quite something.
24 Per cent have amended their shopping habits to try and only shop in places where the business donates some of the proceeds to charity. A quarter of Brits also say they feel a sense of pride following their good deed, and having time off work usually makes them think about what really matters.Spending time with family and thinking of those who are less fortunate during the festive season were reasons why respondents feel compelled to give, while one-fifth say feeling guilty about spending so much on presents makes them more likely to give to those who are in need.
For those unsure of where or how to give to Charities or are looking for smaller alternative chartites one idea may be to look at The Big Give. The Big Give is the UK’s #1 match funding platform. Who specialise in bringing individuals, charities and philanthropists together to multiply their impact.
They run the Christmas Challenge, an annual match funding campaign which raises millions of pounds for good causes, as well as other match funding campaigns. Whilst also providing a platform for charities to run their own fundraising campaigns.
“Charitable giving is a very personal issue, and there’s a wide range of factors that inspire us to donate. And yet, we all want to feel that our donations make a difference.
“The Christmas Challenge is a once-a-year opportunity to achieve even greater impact for the causes we care about. There’s never a better time to think about what we can do to give back.”
Sir Alec Reed, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of The Big Give
The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge 2019 aims to raised £15.9 million for good causes and brings together supporters, philanthropists and almost 600 UK charities in the nation’s biggest match funding appeal.
