Recently I raided the vaults at nfpTowers for a charity quiz-style blog. Plenty of people lined up to test their charity knowledge, or rather their knowledge of the public’s knowledge of charities. It's no easy task, but knowledge is power, power to the people and all that, so give it a spin.

Questions are below and the audience is UK adults (16+) unless stated. Don’t scroll too fast, as the answers are at the bottom. 

1. Which fundraising method irritates the most people? 

a) On your doorstep     b) Face to face     c) On the phone     d) Text messages

2. How many people have considered donating, volunteering or campaigning because of a celebrity supporting a charity?

a) 44%      b) 54%      c) 64%      d) 74%

7. Back to adults now, of those over 16 that donated to charity in the last three months, how much did they give on average?

a) £26.30     b) £36.30     c) £46.30     d) £56.30

Counted up your As to Ds? Excellent.

The Answers

1. Which fundraising method irritates the most people? c) On the telephone. 

An Englishman’s home is their castle and people just don’t like being bothered in their residence. Precisely half said they hate telephone fundraising, but 48% despise being doorstepped and it’s easy to see why. Fast forward to the winter months and it’s a tough gig for a charity fundraiser door-knocking in the dark. You’ll upset less than a third of people texting from your armchair, apparently.

2. How many people have considered donating, volunteering or campaigning because of a celebrity supporting a charity? a) 11%

Given the risk of celebrities doing something scandalous, they don’t seem to add much value. To make matters worse, 4% of people have thought worse of a charity for celebrity endorsements. The public feel a celeb should have personal experience of the cause and donate their own money. Quite right you might think, although isn't it harsh to exclude those altruists unaffected by tragedy?

3. How many people had heard of the No Make-up Selfie? c) 63%

Two thirds (nearly)! An impressive showing from one of the first 'charity fads' that paved the way for the Ice Bucket Challenge and no doubt many more, whilst netting a cool £8m for Cancer Research UK. It’s more well-known than London Poppy Day (40%) and WWF Earth Hour (39%), but still lags behind the master - The Poppy Appeal is known by 91% of adults and even makes it into the minds of 88% of seven to 10 year olds. Hail to the King.

4. How many people aged 16+ use Facebook? c) 67%

Two thirds of us are Facebookers, double the amount of Twitterers and significantly more than the YouTubers. Interestingly, our data shows 47% of over-65s use Facebook and a fifth of them use the internet via their smartphone, though it is an online survey so it attracts the more computer literate of us. Even so, these platforms are major considerations for charities. Social media butterflies, the lot of us.

5. How many people have left money to charity in their will? c) 25%

Where there’s a will, charities can be in it and a quarter of us will provide for good causes for when we depart this world for the next. It's the highest number in eight years and it must be reassuring for charities to know that some income is secured. For us mere mortals though, it’s clearly not the be all and end all – only 37% of us actually have a will anyway.

6. How many 11-16 year olds gave to charity in the last three months? b) 54%

Age is just a number, but giving levels are vital. Over half of young people are giving to charity these days, not bad considering 91% of them don’t have a job. In further good news/a wake-up call for charities, of those youngsters not swapping the newsagents for non-profits in the last three months, 43% have given in the last year. In fact, they only trail adult giving levels by 19%

7. Of those who have given to charity in the last three months, how much did they give on average? d) £56.30

KerrrrCHING! Not bad at all. The highest amount for two years and it's never dropped below £40, even during the recession. Kick on to 2014 and it’s looking like a bountiful time to be a charity. Wonder if we’ll find out what they spend it on...?

Score Guide

0-2: We think you need some research. See below!

3-5: Impressive work. You clearly have some charity clarity. 

6-7: You must work here. Or speak to people 30,000 times a year.  

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