Young people most likely age group to check a charity’s credentials before giving

People aged 18-24 are the most likely age group to carry out basic checks on a charity before donating to it, as well as the age group intending to make the biggest donation this Christmas, according to research from the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator. Over half of 18-24 year olds said that they usually do checks on a charity before donating to it, compared with 29% of over 75s. They also intended to make an average pledge of £31.29 to charity this Christmas, and were the most willing to give up their smartphones in aid of a good cause, with 44% of 18-24 year olds saying that they would give up their phones for the month of December to raise £500 for a charity of their choice. This compares with under a third of the rest of the population. The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator also found that 1 in 10 respondents had been approached to give money to charities that they did not know, and that the most common way people check before giving is to perform an internet search, followed by looking for a registered charity number. More findings: Health/medicine and children are the most popular causes to support this Christmas Women are more likely to support charity than men this Christmas The most popular way to support charity this year is to buy charity Christmas cards 67% of Brits are more likely to support a charity that has affected them personally For those wanting to limit unwanted communications from charities, 28% said they would use the Fundraising Preference Service to opt out from fundraising requests Helen Stephenson CBE, CEO of the Charity Commission, said: “This research shows that Christmas remains a time of generous charitable giving, and that is to be celebrated. I'm particularly pleased that young people give generously, but also that they are more likely to make basic checks before giving to their chosen charity than people from their parents' generation. “This hints at a welcome shift in the public's relationship with charities and shows why charities should be open and transparent about the way they are run and how they spend their money. By doing so they can encourage donors’ trust and generosity." The survey was conducted online from 28 – 29 November by ICM Unlimited, with a sample of 2000 people weighted to reflect the population.  

from UK Fundraising http://ift.tt/2CDu2S1