This week we joined the Centre for Cities webinar on ‘Charitable Giving in the UK’, which discussed their ‘Donation Nation’ report about the geography of giving and whether it meets the geography of need. Below are our key 5 take-aways from report.
- The proportion of people giving is highest in the Greater South East (though excluding many parts of London). It is lowest in the urban areas of Yorkshire and the North West.
- However, those in the Greater South East are 15% less likely to donate to charity compared to those in the rest of the UK with the same income. This is known as a ‘giving gap.
- Plus there is a ‘missing generosity’ among donors in the Greater South East, which means that people donate a smaller share of their income compared to the rest of the UK. The example given which shocked us was typical residents of Chelsea and Fulham donate half as much of their income as those living in Middlesbrough (0.6 per cent versus 1.2 per cent), while having almost double their incomes on average (£40,900 versus £21,800)!
- The types of local causes donated to also do not reflect local needs. In the North, Midlands, and Wales, donors are more likely to support local animal and environmental charities than those helping to alleviate local poverty. Local poverty charities are most popular in London, the region with the lowest local deprivation.
- There are even fewer charities specifically focused on local economic needs in more income-deprived areas.