Almost 1 in 3 in the UK are considering donating to a charity for Christmas instead of giving a gift

Findings from research, carried out by YouGov, found that 28% of those surveyed are considering donating to charity for Christmas this year instead of giving presents and that:

over half of those are driven to do this by a desire to support specific causes

28% per cent want to do this to give back to society generally (highest amongst 45-54 year olds (34%))

10% said this as they are conscious of the environmental impact of gifts and want to reduce waste; the highest number of these respondents are London-based (18%)

3% said donating is easier than buying a gift.

See full report here

Further analysis of the findings shows that women are more likely to consider swapping Christmas presents for charity donations than men, though men are twice as likely to do this because it is easier than shopping for Christmas gifts. Households with 3 or more children were also more likely to consider donating to charity for Christmas than giving a present than any other group.

At this time of increased giving, the British Charity Commission advised to ensure donations do not end up in the wrong hands. The Commission is urging people to follow its top tips for giving safely.

Helen Stephenson CBE, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales said: “We already knew that the British public are generous, and so I am thrilled that almost 1 in 3 of us are considering giving to charity instead of giving presents this Christmas. I want to make sure this benefits legitimate charities, so it’s really important that people give with their heads as well as their hearts by carrying out some simple checks.

Swapping presents for donations is a purposeful step for many and we want to help people who will be thinking carefully about who to give to. There’s a charity for every cause – our online register allows the public to access key information about registered charities, including how they spend their money, what they do, and who their trustees are. I encourage everyone to use this tool to inform their choice.”