Publics Trust In Charities Reaches Its Highest Level Since 2014

New research has just been published by the Charity Commission that shows public trust in charities is at its highest level in ten years.  

What the research revealed is that the biggest factor in swaying the public’s trust is in how a NonProfit spends the money donated to it. The second biggest factor is in knowing that the charity is fulfilling it’s stated mission, that people’s donations are making a difference and that it operates to the highest of ethical standards.  

The Charity Commission’s research shows that NonProfits now score 6.5/10 for trust, which is up from 6.3 this time last year and from the all-time low of 5.8 back in 2018 following a series of scandals.

58% of respondents said their trust in charities was ‘high’ (scoring 7 out of 10 or higher) which places the NonProfit sector as one of the most trusted groups in UK society, second only after doctors.

However, the flipside to the good news is that the research shows that trust goes hand in hand with growing reliance on charitable support for many people, alongside a declining percentage of people donating to charities.

The report showed that only 47% of respondents said they had donated money or goods or raised funds for charity.

That figure compares to 62% back in 2020.

It also showed that there was a mark increased in people receiving charitable aid – up from 3% to 9% since 2020.

“These findings are encouraging, demonstrating that charities collectively are once again firmly trusted by the public, making a visible, essential difference locally, nationally and globally. But there is no room for complacency, for charities or for us as regulator. The new findings point to the challenging financial environment charities are operating in, with a decline in the number of people giving to charity, whilst the high cost of living appears to be driving more people to access charity services. In these financially challenging times, charities must continue to show people how they deliver on their purpose, including how every penny makes a positive difference. Anyone can look up this information on our public Register of charities, which gives details of each charity’s purpose and spending.

David Holdsworth – Charity Commission, Chief Executive

The full research is available on, here >> GOV.UK