Gen Z give more to charity than other generations, reveals report

Despite a slight hesitancy in giving at the start of the pandemic, seven in ten people in the UK have donated to a charity in the last three months, according to a new report by fundraising technology providers Enthuse. This rate has stayed consistent since October 2020. 

The Donor Pulse Survey: Summer 2021 revealed that those under 40 were more likely to give to a charity than their older counterparts. More than four in five under-40s have donated in the last three months, compared to 62% of those over 40.  

Consistent with the findings of previous Donor Pulse reports, Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) were both the most generous donors and the widest donors, with nearly half having donated to three or more causes in the last quarter. 

The report looks at factors that inform donor behaviour, such as the public’s sentiment towards charities, the types of charities that people are giving to, as well as how many people have donated recently compared to the rest of the year.  

It also examines how people are returning to their offices post-lockdown and what opportunities this may bring for charities.

The digital divide 

Under-40s have also driven a rise in digital donations, with the summer report recording the highest figure since the survey began. More than 40% of people gave online, the percentage rising to 62% for donors in Gen Z and 64% for millennials.  

There have also been increases in online donations from 40 to 64-year-olds over the last three months, albeit modest.   

However, for the first time since the Donor Pulse reports began, an increase in donations via consumer giving platforms appears to have led to a phenomenon Enthuse calls ‘Give and forget’. The report shows a correlation between donors who had not given directly through a charity’s website and those who forgot the name of the cause they donated to. 

With 88% of recent donors planning to give again soon, Enthuse founder Chester Mojay-Sinclare emphasises the importance of building stronger relationships with supporters going forward. 

Similarly, the rise in digital donating, even as lockdown begins to lift, demonstrates the need to make online giving as simple as possible for potential donors.

The return to the office 

The final section of the report examines the public’s return to offices, and the subsequent impact on workplace fundraising. Though half of workers expect to return to the office three days a week or less, or at least have a flexible arrangement, a third said they had no sense of when they will be returning at all. One in 12 won’t be returning to their normal place of work. 

With such a dispersed workforce, the report highlights ways that charities can continue to engage with workplace funding. It emphasises the growth of virtual events at the height of the pandemic, and how online quizzes, for example, have been morale boosters when work moved home.  

Fortunately, the appetite for workplace giving has not decreased. Three quarters of people said they felt the same or more likely to get involved in charity fundraisers when they return to the office.