Public trust in charities remains remarkably robust, even in the wake of high-profile controversies such as the investigation into the Captain Tom Foundation, new figures reveal.
The Charity Commission, the sector's independent watchdog, reported that overall confidence in charitable organisations has "not been impacted and has remained stable." This enduring faith places charities above institutions like banks, the police, and even the general public in terms of public trust.
While high levels of trust saw a marginal 1 per cent dip to 57 per cent this year, and low levels edged up from 9 per cent to 10 per cent, the Commission stressed that such minor fluctuations are not statistically significant, indicating a consistent level of public confidence compared to the previous year.
The daughter of pandemic fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore and her husband were accused of “repeated” misconduct in a report published in November by the commission into the running of the foundation set up in his name.
Sir Tom became a household name in the midst of Covid-19, raising millions for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden in lockdown.
But separately, a £1.4 million book deal and an £18,000 awards ceremony appearance fee were among the financial benefits Hannah and Colin Ingram-Moore enjoyed through their family links to the Captain Tom Foundation.
The millions raised by Sir Tom and donated to NHS Charities Together before the foundation was formed were not part of the commission’s inquiry.
The commission’s report found a “repeated pattern of behaviour” which saw Mr and Mrs Ingram-Moore make private gains and which the watchdog said will have left the public feeling “misled”.
But, in annual research, the commission said average trust in charities has remained consistently high since 2020, with greater levels of trust among the public for charities than for banks, police, social services, the ordinary person on the street, private companies, local councils, newspapers, MPs and Government ministers.
Only doctors came out with a more favourable result, with 68% of the 4,092 people surveyed saying they had a high level of trust in the medical professionals.
The Captain Tom charity investigation was one of the main reasons people said they were aware of the commission, and the regulator said its handling of that inquiry appeared to have increased positivity towards the watchdog.
In its report, it stated: “While there have been high levels of awareness of the Captain Tom Foundation, overall trust in charities has not been impacted and has remained stable, maybe due to how the Charity Commission have handled the investigation.
“Focus group participants were balanced in their views, as while actions of high-profile charities could impact their trust, there was also a sense that it wasn’t fair to question all charities due to the actions of a few.”
Earlier this year a foundation spokesperson revealed the family had demanded Sir Tom’s name be removed from the charity, changing it from the Captain Tom Foundation to the 1189808 Foundation, reflecting the organisation’s charity number.
A commission spokesperson said: “Despite some high-profile examples of charity wrongdoing over the last year, these results suggest the public are well aware such instances are very rare.
“This points to the benefits all charities gain from effective, visible regulation, which gives the public confidence in supporting registered charities with their money and time.”
Overall, almost two-thirds of people (64%) of those surveyed said they believed most of the money raised by charities goes to the end cause, up 7% on the previous year.
The commission’s annual survey also showed that the proportion of people getting food, medical or financial support from charitable organisations has increased in recent years, from 3% in 2020 to 9%.
In this same period, the proportion of people donating to or fundraising for charity fell from 62% to 48%, with the commission noting that “households have felt the pinch”.
The proportion had already fallen below half last year, dipping to 47%.
The survey findings also suggested charities campaigning on issues either makes people more likely to support the organisation or makes no difference.
Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said: “The data paints both a challenging picture and a hopeful one – showing a sector that continues to be a bedrock of support and community for people across the country as well as overseas, despite navigating unprecedented demand in an increasingly unstable global landscape.”
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