CGAP Briefing Note 2 - Charitable giving by UK households at Christmas

Many charities run special appeals at Christmas, but what actually happens to giving? Analysis of donations to charity by UK households using a large sample shows:

• Average donations to charity rise in December.
• This is due to a 5 per cent increase in the numbers of people giving, and not to bigger gifts.
• Donations to charity at Christmas do not rise as much as some other forms of giving, or as spending on alcohol.

This briefing note presents new results from an analysis of seasonal patterns in giving to charities.