The public is switching their allegiance towards good causes involved in health and children’s support and away from those tackling poverty and climate change amid their growing belief in civil society’s importance, a report has found.

Charities supporting older people have also seen a dip in support, according to the latest Donor Pulse report by fundraising platform Enthuse, which also found most people view the work of charities as increasingly important due to growing economic and geopolitical pressures.

Amid this growing awareness of civil society’s benefits, charities to see an increase in support include those funding medical research,

Support for these charities has increased to 22% of people for the last three months compared to 21% for the same three-month period last year.

Over the same time frame backing for children’s charities is up from 20% to 22% and NHS, hospital and hospice charities have seen their support increase from 19% last year to 21% this year.

Others to see an increase in support are those supporting people’s mental health, local community causes and faith charities.

Falling support

Meanwhile, charities tackling poverty, including providing foodbank services and helping homeless people, have seen a dip in support to 14% of the public over the last three months, compared to 15% over the same three-month period last year.

Over the same time span support for environmental charities has fallen from 8% to 7%, and backing for overseas aid and education charities has dipped from 7% to 6%.

Enthuse warns that a factor in declining support for overseas aid charities is that more than one in five people have reservations about giving “as they’re uncertain how the money will be spent or where it will go”.

Enthuse advises overseas aid charities that “clear impact messaging is key”.

Meanwhile older people’s charities support has fallen from 10% of the public to 9%.

The changing trends in support come as more than eight in ten people believe that charitable services are more important than ever or seen as increasingly important.

“That’s a clear vote of confidence from the public and an acknowledgement that charitable organisations are an integral part of society. More so than ever, in fact,” said Enthuse.

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