Nine out of ten in Ireland donated to a charity
Interest Largest Influencing Or Factor A To, Connection Charity For Was Personal Who Those In, A Donated The
Nine out of ten adults in Ireland donated to a charity in 2022, according to research from the Charities Regulator. The research also 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.
The survey, which was conducted for the Charities Regulator by Amárach Research, showed strong public support for greater enforcement, tighter controls on charities by the Regulator, and more checks on charities’ activities. While 89% of adults donated to a charity during the year, the nature of those 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 numbers donating goods increased from 43% to 57%. Dublin was the most generous location for those who donated money, followed by Connacht/Ulster, the rest of Leinster and Munster.
“The results of this survey underscore the huge generosity of the Irish public when it comes to charitable giving,” said Helen Martin, Chief Executive of the Charities Regulator. “But the survey also shows the vital role that trust, and transparency play in the charitable sector. The general public want to know how their donations are used, and to see evidence of what has been achieved by the particular charity that they have donated to.”
Providing clear details on these two areas would create improved levels of trust and confidence amongst 90% of the population, the survey found. “We would urge the public to always check the Register of Charities on our website before making a donation to any Irish charity. The Register has a record of every charity in Ireland with information on their finances and activities taken from their annual reports to the Charities Regulator.”
There are currently over 11,500 registered charities in the State, ranging from very small, local volunteer-only charities to large, national or international organisations that employ thousands of people. A personal interest or a connection to a charity/issue remains the single largest influence (58%) for deciding which charity to support, while news and media reports about a charity (13%) is the second largest influencer.
The survey found that a potential donor checking the bona fides of a charity before deciding to donate would look at the charity’s website (38%), online media reports relating to the charity (33%) and check whether the organisation is on the Register of Charities on the Charities Regulator website (33%).
Almost a quarter of respondents (24%) said the reason they supported a specific charity was because they “know it is well run”.
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. Helen Martin states that the online Register of Charities provides such information to the public. “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.
“We would strongly encourage all registered charities to ensure that they submit their annual reports on time to ensure that they play their part in further enhancing the amount and quality of data available on the Register.”