Public Servant Lifestyle

UK donors gave an estimated £8.9bn to charity in 2005/06 according to the latest study of individual giving.

Published jointly by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), UK Giving 2005/06 found that donations to charity haven’t fallen as expected over the past year, despite record levels of giving following the Asian tsunami.

But while some people may have increased their giving, the number of people giving overall has failed to show any real growth, with less than 60% of the UK public giving to charity.

Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of NCVO said: “It is great to see that people haven’t taken ‘time off’ giving after the incredible generosity we witnessed following the Asian tsunami.

“We depend on donations to provide services and support to so many people - from home help for the elderly to refuge for women who are the victims of domestic abuse. So if you are one of the 40% of people who doesn’t give to charity, then perhaps this Christmas is a good time to start.”

The report also shows that a large proportion of people are not making their donations tax efficiently, with just 57% of people who give over £100 each month doing so through Gift Aid. This is even less than last year, meaning that good causes are missing out on £700m in tax rebates each year.

One positive result of the survey is an increase in younger donors between 25 and 34. 35 to 44 year olds are now both the most generous age group and the group most likely to give overall. Regional giving also varies hugely, with people in London and the South East giving the most overall, and people in Wales, Scotland and the East of England the most likely to give.

Women are also the more likely to give, although men continue to give slightly more at £29 per month compared to £25 per month. And while people on higher incomes tend to give more to charity and more often, they give less than any other group as a proportion of their income.

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