Charities see donations fall by £140m a month

Nearly a third of people have cut their regular donations to charities since the start of the coronavirus crisis, according to a new survey.

The survey by IT asset disposal company DSA Connect found 28% of people have cut their donations to charities since the start of the coronavirus crisis, compared to just 5% that have increased them.

The company estimates that the drop in donations from those giving less equates to around £140m a month, and this coupled with the fact that more people are using the services of charities during the crisis will mean a growing number will be forced to close.

DSA Connect’s research reveals 8% of people are receiving more support from charities since the crisis started, compared to just 3% who are using them less.   

The survey found that more than half of people (53%) that have reduced their donations to charities did so because they are more conscious of saving and protecting their income during the coronavirus crisis.

A third (34%) cited either a pay cut, being furloughed, or job loss as their reason for cutting back.

And almost a quarter (23%) said they reduced their donations because their living expenses have increased, whilst 21% say it is because they are now providing greater financial support to their family and loved ones through the crisis.

‘Like many organisations, charities are finding themselves under immense pressure because of the Covid-19 crisis,’ said DSA Connect’s chairman, Harry Benham.

‘Our findings show that more people are leaning on charities for support, yet donations have taken a significant hit. Sadly, many charities are on the brink of closing, and we have seen a growing number contacting us asking for help in how they can erase sensitive data properly from their IT hardware, and how best to dispose of their technology or get the best price from selling it.”

‘It is paramount that charities correctly dispose of all their unwanted data and obsolete technology. If they don’t, they could find themselves in breach of data security and possibly face fines for this.’

Photo Credit – Geralt (Pixabay)