87% of Irish Adults Donated to Charity in the First Three Months of the Year

87% of Irish adults made donations to charity in the first three months of the year; with nearly half (47%) making donations to charities supporting Ukraine, according to new research published by Enthuse, the donations, fundraising and events platform.

The research was published to mark the launch of the company’s new Irish operations, based in Dublin. The company already works with prominent Irish charities including MS Ireland, Irish Red Cross and Ronald McDonald House. The Donor Pulse research tracks changing consumer habits and attitudes to charity and fundraising on a periodic basis.

Ukraine in Focus

According to the research, the war in Ukraine has had a significant impact on Irish people. 38% of Irish people donated to charities providing humanitarian support on the ground in Ukraine, while a further 23% donated to charities supporting Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland. Tellingly, of those that made donations to charity in the past three months, more than one in five (21%) donated money solely to Ukrainian causes, potentially suggesting a marked rise in charitable donations in the first three months of the year.

The Causes That Resonate With Irish People

Aside from the war in Ukraine, some of the most prominent causes to resonate with Irish people in the last three months were local community charities (25%), mental health support services (24%), homelessness (22%), children’s charities (22%) and cancer research (20%). Other causes to receive donations included:

—  Animal welfare charities (19%)
—  Local hospices (17%)
—  Church or faith-based organisations (13%)
—  Charities supporting the elderly (9%)
—  Grassroots sport (9%)
—  Environmental causes (7%)
—  Educational charities (7%)

Positive Sentiment, Despite Inflationary Pressures

The rising cost of living has emerged as one of the defining challenges for Irish households in 2022, with 80% of Irish adults citing it as their top concern for 2022. In comparison, only 11% referenced Covid.

However, despite this economic backdrop, the fundraising and charitable sector will be encouraged to learn that Irish adults remain positively disposed to donating to charity in 2022. Nearly two in five (38%) state that they were more likely to give to charity today than they were three months previously.

Exactly half of those surveyed said their attitude to charities had remained unchanged, while only eight per cent said they were less likely to give money to charity than before. The remaining five per cent either never donate to charity (3%) or remain unsure (2%).

Motivating Factors

The three most commonly cited reasons for donating to charity were moral duty (49%), the continued media coverage of humanitarian crises, including the war in Ukraine (29%), and a friend, family member or individual having personally benefited from the charity’s services (25%).

Looking Ahead

The last of the Irish Government’s Covid-19 restrictions were officially lifted on 01 April. In light of this return to normality, there appears to be a considerable appetite among Irish adults to participate in fundraising events or activities in 2022. Over half (58%) are open to participating in fundraising events later this year, with large group events, including fun runs and sponsored walks proving the most popular.

Amongst those who intend on participating in fundraising activities in 2022, exactly 50% are open to participating in large group activities, while 48% prefer the greater flexibility of being able to complete an exercise challenge in their own time. Other popular fundraising formats include pub quizzes and bake-offs (47%), lifestyle challenges (24%) and gaming events (20%).

The findings suggest that there is less appetite among Irish adults for formal fundraising events, including black-tie dinners (only 13%) or traditional professional networking events (just 7%).

Commenting on the research, Enthuse’s Ireland Country Lead, Luke Dixon, said:

“We are delighted to publish our first ever Enthuse Donor Pulse research for the Irish market. The quarterly report has long served as an important bellwether for the UK charity sector and we hope that it can provide a similar level of data-driven insight for the charity and fundraising sector in Ireland.

“Historically, the Irish have been known for their generosity and this has been borne out in how quickly the public has mobilised to support humanitarian aid in Ukraine. Other longstanding issues including homelessness, mental health support and cancer research continue to resonate, and despite inflationary pressures, there is a renewed appetite among Irish adults to get involved in fundraising activities in 2022, which will come as welcome news to charities.

“Interestingly, over half (55%) of Irish adults made online donations in the past three months, but one in three of these cannot recall the name of the charity they donated to. Tellingly, average donations were 64% higher when through the charity’s own website, versus consumer giving platforms. This suggests the need for charities to do more to connect their brand with the causes they represent, and to look at how they can nurture longer-term relationships with those that ultimately fund their services.

“Enthuse’s proposition is simple. For a flat monthly fee, we provide branded online fundraising tools for charities and fundraising events. We are still relatively new to the Irish market but we are already working with some of the country’s most reputable charities. We are now excited to further grow our Irish footprint in the months ahead.”