Scotland accounts for 11.8% of all UK charitable donations, despite representing 8.4% of the UK’s population
Generous Scots gave £1.2 billion to charity in 2017 – a huge increase from the £813 million donated in 2016.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) second-ever Scottish Giving Report found that Scotland gives a proportionately higher amount that other parts of the UK.
CAF’s snapshot – the only major study of its kind – shows that Scotland accounts for 11.8% of all UK charitable donations, despite representing 8.4% of the UK’s population.
Research is based on YouGov monthly polling of people in Scotland between January and December of 2017, with an overall sample size of 1,061 adults, revealing how the Scottish public gives to the causes that they care about.
Two thirds (66%) of Scots took part in a charitable or social activity, such as volunteering for a charity, donating money or goods, or buying an ethical product.
More than half (56%) of those interviewed said they had signed a petition in the previous 12 months, while 27% had done so over the previous four weeks. This reflects a pattern across the UK as a whole, and suggests that rapid political change has encouraged people to become more involved in causes and issues.
Sir John Low, chief executive of CAF, said: “It’s great to see the total amount donated increasing across Scotland. Activism is also on the rise, perhaps reflecting the turbulent times in which we live. This paints a picture of a thriving, vibrant society of which we should all be proud.
“It’s easy to take the work of our charities for granted – indeed CAF’s research over many years shows that millions of people benefit from their work without even realising it. But this report shows how much people value good causes. Without the support of these generous donors, we would all be so much the poorer.”
Anna Fowlie, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), added: “The findings from CAF’s report are fairly positive as they show that although the number of people giving has decreased, the amount of money being donated to charities in Scotland has gone up, which is great.
"Figures released by SCVO in February 2018 showed that while trust in charities in Scotland is still high, it has dropped by 9% over the last two years, which may help explain why the number of people giving is down.
"However our survey also showed that trust in local charities remains strong, particularly where people had personal experience of a charity, so it may be that the increase in giving is down to the impact of the good work organisations do in communities.”
