The two most popular causes that people in the UK donate money towards are for cancer and mental health, largely because of people’s own personal experience dealing with the illness. People in the UK tend to be most motivated by they desire to help fund charities from which they or their loved ones have received support from in the past according to the research. In fact, research suggests two fifths of UK people will only donate to charities they believe they have a personal relationship with.
Cancer is the most popular cause
Given the fact that the most prominent life-threatening disease is cancer, with nearly half of all people in the UK expecting to receive a cancer diagnosis, it should come as no surprise that cancer charities receive a lot of donations. Close to half of people who leave charitable donations in their wills pick cancer charities. Almost a quarter of all British people experience mental health issues so it is also unsurprising that about a third of British people leave money to a mental health charitable organisation in their wills.
Mental health is also important
After cancer and mental health, the most popular causes are animal and children’s charities both of which receive about a 33 per cent. Homelessness receives 26 per cent, the environment 22 per cent, armed forces get 20 per cent whilst old age charities receive 19 per cent. As geopolitics becomes a more central issue and has grown in importance over the last few years, a growing number of British have realised the importance of the armed services and have priorotised them in their will.
Almost 40 per cent of British people think the armed services has been the most neglected sector of society and almost 74 per cent believe veterans, their families and those that depend on them are not looked after effectively. Almost a third of all British now are thinking about leaving legacy donations to charity in their wills. About eighty per cent of those that end up doing so, pledge an average of £24,000 according to research.
Local charities also popular
Even more surprising is that today, about 25 per cent of British adults are considering donating all or at least the majority of their money to charity if they believed their families were taken care of financially. Alternatively, almost ten per cent of British are unaware that they can leave money to charity. With hospices providing services to 200,000 people in the UK every year, it should come as no surprise that more than half of all people in the UK would prefer to donate to smaller local charities where they are sure their money will have a positive impact and only a quarter are aware of larger charities.
