Charities can expect around £2.8bn in donations during the festive period of November and December, according to estimates released by CAF, the Charities Aid Foundation.

Their estimate is based on last years donations (with expectations that this year will be about the same) plus it’s analysis of donation trends throughout the year.

In it’s annual UK Giving reports which CAF have been producing since 2004, they estimated that the British public gave £2.68bn in 2022, a similar amount in 2021 and £2.08bn in 2020.

Historically, November and December have always been the busiest months for giving in the UK.

According to their research, 50% per of the British public say they always or usually donate to charities over the Christmas period, much higher than the 34% of people who regularly give money to charity throughout the rest of the year – for instance direct debit.

Of those who intend to give, the majority (74%) say they’d donate money, with just under half (46%) planning to give goods and 14% intending to donate their time to good causes.

The top reasons cited for donating during the festive period are:

• being more aware of those in need during this time – 37%
• it’s a traditional time to give – 28%
• greater awareness of charity appeals – 23%
• donating instead of giving presents – 10%

“Up and down the country, charities are helping more and more people this winter – those who are most in need in our society. Charities understand more than most the financial pressures some households are facing. But the last few years has seen a decline in the number of people regularly donating to charity. We hope that for those who can afford to, they give generously this year to good causes. There are also other ways to help, such as through volunteering or donating goods. Many charities rely on mass giving and festive fundraising and they will certainly appreciate an injection of generosity this Christmas.”

Philippa Cornish – Head of charities, CAF