The Charity Commission for England and Wales has published annual research into the public's trust in charities, and trustees' experience of their role.
Public Trust in Charities
Overall trust in charities has been stable since 2020, with recent analysis revealing public trust in charities reaching a 10-year high. In 2024, charities score a 6.5 out of 10 for trust: up from 6.3 in the previous year and recovering from 2018's low of 5.5 amid high-profile scandals.
58% of the public place strong trust in charities, scoring them at seven out of 10 or higher, putting charities only behind doctors in terms of public trust.
The increase comes amidst a challenging economic backdrop for the British public. While the percentage of people who donated money or goods or fundraised for charities decreased from 62% in 2020 to 47% this year, there has been an increase in the percentage of people seeking assistance from charities: 9% this year, up from 3% in 2020.
Knowledge of the Charity Commission appears to factor into people's trust. Around half of people report that they are aware of the Charity Commission, with those who have heard of it being more likely to report high trust in charities than those who had not (63% versus 52%). Only four in 10 people are aware of the register of charities.
Charities must continue to show people how they deliver on their purpose including how every penny makes a positive difference.
David holdsworth, CHARITY COMMISSION CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, emphasised that 'Charities must continue to show people how they deliver on their purpose including how every penny makes a positive difference.'
Trustee Attitudes
The Charity Commission have also published their findings on the attitudes of charity trustees towards their role.
61% of trustees agree that there should be high expectations of conduct in charities and that charity's standards of behaviours and conduct should be higher than that in other organisations. Further, trustees report high levels of confidence in their responsibilities and awareness in their duties when making decisions.
The Commission surveyed charity trustees about their charity's use of artificial intelligence for the first time this year. Only 3% of trustees report the use of AI in their charities, however this figure rises to 8% in larger charities (income of over £1m).
Finally, the regulator published data confirming widespread problems among trustees in their experiences with banking services for their charities, confirming its statements earlier in the year that there was 'undeniable evidence of the extent and impact of the appalling service charities receive from some banks.' Of all the areas of self-reported trustee confidence, the ability to manage charity finances scored the lowest, with 8% of charities reporting low or no confidence in the area.
Please see the full research findings here.
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