It found that almost a third of the UK (31%) would be more willing to contribute time or money to national charities, and almost half (46%) would give to local charities, if they had access to more information. For the latter, this could generate an extra £103,062,675 in donations.

Two in five people also said they gave less to charity because they were not confident how the money would be spent.

Erica Roberts, chief executive of GuideStar UK, said this is one of the issues the website aims to address: “It is our hope that by providing a ‘one-stop-shop’ of information, GuideStar UK will help to usher in a new era where everyone seeking help or information can instantly find a charity that answers their needs.”

GuideStar UK provides detailed information on all 167,000 registered charities in England and Wales. To view it, log onto www.guidestar.org.uk