New research on public attitudes and habits around Irish charities

In May, the Charities Regulator published the findings of its latest research on Irish attitudes towards the charity sector. Conducted for the Charities Regulator by Amárach Research, it provides valuable information on the public's perspectives on charities and their understanding of the sector.

Key findings

Trust and Confidence in Charities: The research found that eight out of ten adults (80%) believed that having trust and confidence in a charity was very important when deciding to donate – which is up from 65% since 2020 when a similar study was undertaken.?This finding reflects the positive perception that the Irish public holds towards charitable organisations. However, it also emphasises the need for charities to maintain high standards of transparency and accountability to sustain that trust.

The generosity of the Irish public: Nine out of ten adults (89%) donated to a charity in the past year. More than half (56%) of those who donated money to charity gave at least six times in the past year, with the purchase of raffle/lottery tickets being the most common form of financial donation. The types of charities that were most strongly supported during the past 12 months include medical or health-related charities (44%), homeless or refuge services (43%), local community organisations (41%), children or youth services (29%) and animal rescue or welfare (29%).

Changes in types of donations: The nature of donations has changed quite significantly over the past two years, the survey found. The number of people who made financial contributions to charities declined from 74% to 59%, while the number donating goods increased from 43% to 57%. However, while the number of financial donors has declined, the survey found that the average annual donation reported by survey participants was up by 9% over the past two years to €169. ?Dublin was the most generous location for those who donated money, followed by Connacht/Ulster, the rest of Leinster and Munster.?The survey showed that the charity shop sector is benefitting from both an increase in donations – up 13 percentage points to 57% - and from higher customer numbers, with an 8% increase in the number of people purchasing goods from charity shops.?

Importance of work carried out by charities: More than 8 out of 10 people (84%) feel that charities and the work they do in Irish society is important, while three-quarters of respondents believe that the impact of charities is significant. The importance of charities and their impact was felt most strongly among women aged 55 and over, the study showed.?

Transparency and accountability: The report highlights the increasing importance of a charity’s transparency and accountability to donors when deciding to support a charity. The survey found that a potential donor checks the bona fides of a charity before deciding to donate by looking at the charity’s website (38%), the Register of Charities (33%) and online media reports relating to the charity (33%). The percentage of donors who do not check out a charity has declined from 23% to 17% over the past two years.?

Almost a quarter of respondents (24%) said the reason they supported a specific charity was because they “know it is well run”.?

Almost 9 out 10 (88%) of respondents stated that it is important for charities to disclose how they spend their funds. This finding underscores the significance of robust financial reporting and clear communication of impact for charities to continue to foster public trust and engagement.

Additionally, the survey found that there was a hierarchy of trust within the charity sector among the Irish public, as small local charities tend to generate the highest level of trust, while there are more neutral attitudes to larger national and international charities.?

Governance and regulation: The report highlights that the public values strong governance and regulation within the charity sector, with strong support for increased powers and tougher action by the Regulator. Eight out of 10 adults believe that the Charities Regulator should play a role in ensuring that Irish charities operate legally, transparently, and ethically and also make relevant financial information available to members of the public.

Launching the survey findings, Charities Regulator Chief Executive Helen Martin noted that the online Register of Charities provides important information to the public and encouraged all charities to ensure they submit their annual reports on time. “A charity’s annual report to the Charities Regulator is an important means for registered charities to provide basic information to the Regulator and the public on their finances and activities in the previous year. By submitting their annual reports on time, a charity ensures they are playing their part in further enhancing the amount and quality of data available on the Register.”

The survey was conducted online among a sample of 2,000 adults. A combination of quotas and weighting ensured that the sample used was representative of the national population in terms of gender, age, social class, and region. The questionnaire for the survey was based on a similar study conducted by Amárach in 2020, with some changes to reflect post-pandemic circumstances and to explore emerging topics of interest to the Charities Regulator.

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