Covid-19 what it means for giving

Spring 2020 polling with the public

Will people donate more or less because of the crisis?

Overall, 11% of people say they will donate to charity less than they usually do over the next three months in the wake of the outbreak, whilst 26% say they will likely donate more than usual.

Q: To what extent, if at all, are you likely to do each of the following in the near-future (i.e. in the next 3 months), or have you already done as a result of the Coronovirus outbreak?

YouGov fieldwork 20-23 April 2020. Base all UK adults aged 16+; N=1,105
 

Intention to donate to local and national charities is up

In April, 41% of people said they will donate to local charities (up from 34% in March 2020) and 6% said they had already done so. 28% of people said they will donate to national charities (up from 23% in March 2020) and 7% of people said they had already done this.

Intention to donate to NHS and international charities remains high

Intention to donate to NHS charities is unchanged (40% in March 2020 and 42% in April 2020), as is the intention to donate to international charities (13% in March 2020 and 14% in April 2020). 7% had already donated to an NHS charity and 3% had giving to international charities.

Helping in the community

The majority of people in Britain are ready to support their neighbours and NHS charities through the coronavirus pandemic, despite facing money worries of their own.    More than half of people said they expect to help their neighbours or friends with shopping or errands (56%) or check on their vulnerable or elderly neighbours (51%).

 

How will people get involved?

Around a fifth of people (18%) said they are likely to join a local group set up to respond to the crisis or co-ordinate local efforts via social media (20%). One in twenty said they are likely to set up a local group to deal with the crisis.