Giving Insights from the U.S. and U.k.
Exploring Donor Behaviors Across BordersSince 2000, the CAF American Donor Fund (CADF) has received over US$1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) in donations from dual taxpayers in the U.K. and the U.S. However, despite the strong charitable giving relationship between our two countries, with each being the top international giving destination for the other, there is little research comparing how these nations approach philanthropy.
To commemorate CADF’s 25th anniversary, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) explored how charitable giving compared in the U.S. and U.K. Led by our CAF America research team, the surveys in both countries focused on three core areas of giving behavior.
Key Questions We Explored
How do U.S. and U.K. donors approach charitable giving?
American and British donors take similar approaches to how they give, such as tending to donate to the same organizations each year, wanting their gifts to be anonymous and finding causes to support through daily life.
What motivates donors in the U.S. and U.K. to give?
A majority of donors in the U.S. (67%) and the U.K. (63%) say that they are almost always motivated to give because they feel connected to their chosen causes. However, other factors also play an important role in their decision, such as the convenience of donating or being impressed by a charity’s work.
How is fundraising with U.S. donors different from U.K. donors?
American donors tend not to look abroad for causes to support. But they are open to direct asks from charities, especially those that are working within issue areas they care about deeply.
Methodology
U.S. Survey
CAF America surveyed 1,028 U.S. adults about their charitable giving between October 23–31, 2024 , using Centiment’s online panel. The data was weighted to Census demographic information for age, gender, age by gender, income, and region to ensure results are nationally representative (margin of error: ±5%).
U.K. Surveys
These questions were run across two separate yet connected surveys. Some questions were included in the monthly U.K. Giving Tracker. This tracker is carried out by YouGov on behalf of CAF. For our research, CAF surveyed 1,007 U.K. adults in late October (October 22-24, 2024). The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.K. adults (aged 16+). Weighting profiles are normally derived from census data or, if not available from the census, from industry-accepted data.
YouGov also ran a second survey online on behalf of CAF, in late October (October 25–28, 2024), involving 2,058 U.K. adults.
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