THREE OUT of every four people donate to charity in the Republic but giving levels are falling significantly due to the economic recession, a new survey shows.
Figures due to be published at a major fundraising conference in Dublin tomorrow show the number of Irish people donating to charity fell to 75 per cent in November 2009, from 83 per cent in March 2008. A fifth of those donating last year gave less than they had planned to give or had previously donated during 2008.
Donations from young people between 16 and 24 years of age fell sharply, down to 59 per cent in November 2009 from 78 per cent.
However, people are giving more time towards charitable activities with events sponsorship and participation rates increasing by 5 and 7 percentage points respectively since August 2009, according to the figures.
Prof John Healy, chairman of Philanthropy Ireland, said the charity and non-profit sectors faced considerable difficulties due to falling public donations and a cutback in State support.
“Charities are suffering falling income from the public and from the State, which provides 60 per cent of income. So Government cutbacks mean trouble for the charity sector,” he said.
Prof Healy said Irish charities needed to do more with less money and work harder and smarter during the current recession.
He said the charity sector was also too reliant on spontaneous forms of giving, such as cash fundraising on the streets, and should move to more settled and valuable types of raising money, such as standing orders.
“People are less likely to cancel standing orders during a recession than they are to cut back on street collections, which enables charities to plan more effectively,” he said.
Statistics, which are compiled from the Irish Charity Engagement Monitor, show on-street cash collections and buying products from charity shops are currently the two most common methods of giving to charity.
Just one in three donors to charity currently give through a direct debit.
The charity and non-profit sector is worth about €2.5 billion and employs almost 9 per cent of the workforce. The Irish Cancer Society is the organisation donors most commonly give to. Trócaire, St Vincent de Paul and Concern are also very popular.
Fundraising Ireland, which is an umbrella group for charitable organisations that fundraise, is hosting the two-day conference titled Green shoots – fundraising out of a recessionin Croke Park. The conference begins tomorrow.