Just 32% of us give to charity every month

THE number of people who are giving to charity once a month has fallen below a third of the population, figures showed yesterday.

Only 32 per cent said that they had done so last year – compared with 33 per cent in 2016, a survey found.

The poll, carried out among 12,000 people, comes after a series of scandals over fundraising methods.

In 2015 the Mail disclosed how the NSPCC, the British Red Cross, Oxfam and Macmillan were using ‘boiler room’ tactics to raise cash.

The overall fall in numbers donating was even greater because of a decline in sponsorship for those taking part in charity events.

The survey said that, when direct donations and sponsorship were counted together, the share of people who contributed dropped from 39 per cent in 2016 to 37 per cent last year.

Total donations rose from £9.7billion to £10.3billion, but cash came from fewer people, according to the Charities Aid Foundation.

Its chief Sir John Low said: ‘It is far too soon to tell if that represents a trend, but we need to be careful if giving becomes concentrated in fewer, larger donations.’

The report said trust levels have not shifted since 2016, with only 51 per cent agreeing that charities are trustworthy.