Donors in London give the most to charities on average and engagement in the city is more “visible and participatory” compared with other regions, new research has found.
The brand monitoring tool CharityTracker this week published its nations and regions report exploring how charitable engagement varies across the UK.
The study, which is based on data collected in January from more than 4,000 UK adults, divided respondents into 10 equal decile groups based on the amount donated, creating a total of 11 value bands ranging from zero to 10. A higher band score indicates a higher total donation value.
London had the highest average donation band score at 4.6. The report found donor support in the city was strongly shaped by “concern with fairness and inequality”.
The report says: “People are far more likely to back causes that work internationally than those focused purely on their immediate locality.
“Giving reflects the perspective of a global city, with horizons beyond regional or national boundaries.”
Engagement in London is “visible and participatory” and residents are more inclined to volunteer, organise or lend their voice publicly than “simply give quietly”, the report says.
Yorkshire and the Humber ranked next in the standings with an average donation band score of 4.2, and the report says engagement in the region is “practical rather than activist”.
“Support gravitates towards familiar, service-led causes, with less appetite for campaigning around global inequality or environmental protection,” it says.
“People here are far more likely to direct support towards charities rooted in their own area, and markedly less likely to prioritise national or international organisations.
“Giving tends to be straightforward and low-visibility – donating money or goods rather than speaking out publicly.”
Scotland, which also had an average donation band score of 4.2, has a “powerful sense of pride in community” in the country, the report says.
“Support is far more likely to be directed towards Scottish charities than to UK-wide or international organisations,” the report says.
“Participation is less hands-on, but public expression is relatively strong. Donation levels sit near the top of the UK range.”
North-east England ranked lowest with a score of 3.7, despite “strong local belonging”, the report says.
“People are more likely to feel connected to their communities and to believe that local needs are acute,” the report says.
“At the same time, charities feel slightly less visible and command a little less confidence than elsewhere.”