Faith matters: Understanding faith-based charities

In April 2016 we published research that showed 27% (49,881) of 187,495 registered charities in Great Britain are faith-based. Despite making up a significant part of the sector, remarkably little is known about the effect of faith on how charitable organisations operate and what they can achieve. So we’re conducting ongoing research to try and find out more.

This paper builds on our analysis as we continue to explore the role of faith-based organisations. Here we take a closer look at the income of faith-based charities, the areas they work in, and how long established they are. We also put this in the context of non faith-based charities and the sector as a whole.

Findings include:

• There are 49,881 faith-based charities in England and Wales, with a combined income of £16.3bn.
• Religious charities make up nearly half of all overseas aid charities (49%) and human rights charities (45%), as well as 4 in 10 anti-poverty charities (39%).
• A higher proportion of faith-based charities (34%) were registered with the Charity Commission in the last ten years than non faith-based (25%).

Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @NPCthinks using #faithcharities.