Philanthropy in the UK

The global philanthropy market is estimated to be £182 billion. ⁽³⁾
People gave £11.3 billion to charity in the UK in 2020, up from £10.6 billion in 2019. ⁽¹⁾
62% of people in the UK gave to charity via donation or sponsorship in 2020. ⁽¹⁾
The average monthly donation in the UK in 2021 was £49. ⁽¹⁾

360 giving research reports that grant makers acted quickly to the pandemic – 42% of grants were awarded before June 2020. ⁽⁷⁾
Many people funded charities in stages as funding needs developed, with the majority of charities receiving more than one grant and a quarter receiving three or more. ⁽⁷⁾
At the height of the pandemic in 2020, it was reported that up to a fifth of people in the UK were giving to charities that supported the NHS or were linked to healthcare. ⁽⁸⁾
Despite the pandemic creating or increasing financial worries, which led to 1 in 10 people donating less than usual, 1 in 4 people have said they would now increase their donations to charity. ⁽⁹⁾

People aged over 65 are more likely to engage in charitable activities (65% donate money to charity) although around half the adult population across other age ranges also donate (49% of 16-24 years; 53% of 25 – 44 years; and 59% of 45 – 64 years). ⁽¹⁾
90% of women reported taking part in at least one charitable activity in 2019/2020 compared with 83% of men. ⁽¹⁾

Animal welfare is the most popular with 27% of donors giving to this cause in the UK, followed by support for children or young people (24%) and medical research (22%). ⁽¹⁾
Women are more likely than men to support animal welfare charities (32% vs 21%), children or young people (25% vs 21%) and the arts (4% vs 3%). In contrast, men are more likely than women to support medical research (25% vs 20%), religious causes (13% vs 11%) and schools, colleges and education (5% vs 3%). ⁽¹⁾
A new trend emerging in 2020 was the increased likelihood of those aged 65+ to donate to overseas aid and disaster relief in comparison to younger donors; a fifth (20%) of those aged 65+ gave to these causes compared with 15% of those aged 64 or younger. ⁽¹⁾
Younger donors are more likely than older to donate to charities supporting physical or mental healthcare; 20% of 16-24s. ⁽¹⁾
Nearly £1 in every £5 donated in the UK goes to religious organisations. ⁽¹⁾

62% of people who gave money in 2020 did so via donation or sponsorship. ⁽¹⁾
Cash giving was much lower than usual during the whole of 2020, and the trend has continued into 2021. ⁽¹⁾
Donations made via contact-free or digital methods increased substantially during the pandemic. ⁽¹⁾
The proportion of people being asked to donate online had already been steadily increasing over the past few years, but in 2020 it jumped to 30% from 24% in 2019. ⁽¹⁾
Across 2020, around three in 10 (28%) people were regular givers, with 3% giving weekly and 25% giving monthly. Half (51%) of adults reported giving from time to time whilst one in seven (14%) give rarely. ⁽¹⁾
Three in 10 people are regular givers. Women are more likely than men to give regularly. ⁽¹⁾
Fewer people volunteered than usual in 2020, but levels have remained relatively low during 2021 even as restrictions have lifted. ⁽¹⁾

People in London are more likely to have given to causes supporting homeless people, housing and refuge shelters (25% vs 19% UK average). ⁽¹⁾
An estimated £2.01 billion is donated by Independent Trusts & Foundations in London per year. ⁽⁵⁾
An estimated £2.0 billion is donated by individuals in London per year. ⁽⁵⁾

Giving by family and personal foundations grew by 0.9%, while corporate foundation giving increased by 12.5% in 2020. ⁽²⁾
Top ranking foundations made £3.45 billion in overall grants during 2018/2019. ⁽²⁾
Giving by the Top 50 corporate foundations reached £230 million in 2018/2019, a growth of 12.5%. ⁽²⁾

Since 2016, 20% of millionaires based in Britain donate more than 1% of their wealth away annually. ⁽⁴⁾
The largest single donation was £80m in 2016. ⁽⁵⁾
Large donations (£1m+) from foundations totaled £1bn in 2016, accounting for 55% of all £1m+ giving for the calendar year. ⁽⁵⁾
The sum of the largest donation from an individual or family in 2020/2021 totals at £4.2 Million. ⁽¹⁰⁾
A total of £4.305 billion has been gifted over the past 12 months in 2021/2020 from the top 1%. ⁽¹⁰⁾
There has been a 36.1% rise on the £3.164 billion donated in 2020 by the top 1%. ⁽¹⁰⁾
Large donations (£1m+) from corporations totaled £512m in 2016, accounting for 28% of all £1m+ giving for the calendar year. ⁽⁵⁾

Charitable Giving Statistics in the United Kingdom