Less than half (47%) of 'mainstream' UK donors (who have a household income of up to £150,000 and gave more than £50 in the past year) think people should give to charity if they can afford to, the largest ever UK study of donor motivation, published 9^th March by the charity think tank NPC, has found.

Only 39% of people in the UK give over £50 a year, Money for Good UK found, based on an Ipsos MORI survey of over 3,000 UK adults as well as focus groups and interviews conducted by NPC.

Dan Corry, chief executive of NPC, said: “It is worrying to see that the sense of duty to give if you can afford to is a minority view in the UK today, and we need to understand why this is and what we might do about it. But this report also identifies a huge opportunity for charities. There are strong messages here about actions charities can take to improve their fundraising, for example around measuring and reporting impact. Funders play a really important role in motivating their grantees towards these kinds of behaviours.”

The report reveals that the UK public would give more to charity every year if organisations provided more information about the things donors care about, including their impact.

For example, 63% of high income donors (who have a household income above £150,000 and gave more than £50 in the past year) say that they pay attention to how a charity will use a donation; but only 42% say that charities are doing well at explaining how they use their donations.

Thirty four per cent of high income donors, whose average annual donation is £1,282 per year, say that they would give more money to a cause if they felt charities did a better job in the areas they pay attention to.

Medical research, children and young people, and hospital and hospices are the three most popular causes to donate to among UK donors. The arts, and sports and recreation are the least popular causes.

Money for Good UK also identifies seven different types of UK donors:

• Engaged champion: ‘I give time and get my friends involved’.
• Benefactor: ‘I give to lead by example’.
• Faith-based donor: ‘I give for my community’.
• Good citizen: ‘I give because it’s the right thing to do’.
• Thoughtful philanthropist: ‘I give to make an impact’.
• Loyal supporter: ‘I give because I care about the cause’.
• Ad hoc giver: ‘I give because I’m asked’.

Each type of donor is distinguished by particular giving habits. Among mainstream donors Loyal Supporters, are most common (31%) and Benefactors are least common (4%). In the high income groups, Ad hoc Givers form the largest group (31%) and Faith-based Donors form the smallest.

Corry added: “As the state withdraws from many areas where it once offered support, charities are increasingly being expected to fill in the gaps. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we understand who is giving money to charity, and why.”