WHY DO PEOPLE GIVE MONEY TO CHARITY?

FINDINGS FROM THE WORLD GIVING INDEX 2013

Every year we produce a comprehensive measure of generosity across the globe. The CAF World Giving Index (WGI) measures three main kinds of generosity – giving money, giving time and helping a stranger – and uses them to list the most generous nations in the world.

One of the key measures – donating money to charity – is something most of us will do at some point in our lives; but why do we do it?

In 2013 we surveyed 700 people around the UK who gave money on a regular basis, and asked them what motivated them to and what they got in return. What emerged from that survey was peoples’ sense of duty to give back to their society and tackle inequality. Most people said that they were driven to give because it felt like the right thing to do and it helped to make a difference.

It's also vital to try and understand how people give to charity.

Cash continues to be the most common method of giving in the UK, but things are changing. Recent data released by Blackbaud found that in the past five years the average online donation in the UK had risen by 20%, whilst 11% of donors have given by text in the past year.

According to the WGI 1.4 billion people donated money to charity in 2014. Against the backdrop of growing economic uncertainty and in a world still riven by conflict, the human desire to help one another remains strong. The WGI cannot provide us with answers to all of our questions about charitable giving, but it does show that we are giving more money than ever to charitable causes. That generosity is something that we should cherish, and nurture.