Money Matters

If you ever had doubts about the scale of the UK Charity sector, this report on Charity Trends 2005 should dispel all queries.

In 2004, charities earned about £35bn. Yes, you read right.

From www.cafonline.org
"...Most charities are small, with an annual income of £10,000 or less. The majority of donations, however, are made to a few large charities. 90% of the £35bn total goes to just over 7% of all charities in existence.

The income gap between large and small charities is huge. In 2003/04 the top ten charities received almost a quarter of all voluntary income, getting £1.5bn between them...."

The biggest donors, surprisingly are individuals in the UK just like you and me. In 2004, we gave a staggering £8.2 bn to causes. This beats a paltry 900m from companies, £252m from Lottery money and about £1.5bn from legacies.

Cancer Research UK was the most popular charity, earning £306m followed by
The National Trust £144m
Oxfam £134m
British Heart Foundation £119m
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) £91m
Salvation Army £91m
Macmillan Cancer Relief £84m
NSPCC £82m
RSPCA £76m
Save the Children (UK) £70m

The next time you're giving a donation, think of these numbers.

For more on the Charity Trends 2005, read
http://society.guardian.co.uk/charityfinance/story/0,,1516484,00.html