75% of Businesses Don’t Support Charities: Start with Microhive.

A new report from Charities Aid Foundation has revealed a striking reality: 75% of British businesses do not support charities, whether that’s through time, cash, or goods. Even among those that do give, the landscape is shifting. While companies donated an estimated £4.2 billion last year, nearly half of that came from just FTSE 100 companies. And only 24 of those gave at least 1% of their pre-tax profits to charity; down from 28 the previous year. Cash donations have also seen a significant drop, with £300 million less given in cash last year compared to the year before.

At first glance, this might sound disheartening. But if we look closer, it highlights something crucial: the power of participation, not just size.

It’s not always easy for organisations, particularly smaller businesses to make big, headline-grabbing donations. Budgets are tight, margins are stretched, and charitable giving can sometimes feel like a “nice to have” rather than a core part of business strategy.

The research highlights a clear gap between public expectation and business action when it comes to charitable giving. Only 25% of UK businesses provide any form of support to charities, whether through cash donations, employee time, in-kind goods, or other contributions. Larger organisations are more likely to give: among businesses with turnovers above £5 million, 44% engage in some form of philanthropy. However, beyond that threshold, increased turnover makes little difference, just 48% of companies with revenues over £100 million provide any support at all.

This lack of engagement contrasts sharply with public sentiment. In a separate survey, only 23% of the public believe businesses are never obligated to give to charity, regardless of their size.

When asked why they don’t give, many businesses cited reasons such as “It’s just not a priority” (32%) or “We didn’t have enough budget” (38%), especially among smaller organisations. Other reasons included a lack of time, no direct benefit perceived, or simply not being asked.

But what this report does highlight is that if more businesses gave just 1% of their profits to charity, the collective impact could deliver an additional £5 billion to charities. That’s the ripple effect in action.

At Microhive, this belief sits at the heart of what we do. The power of the collective. Giving small to benefit greatly.
When many do something small, it creates something extraordinary. It builds stronger communities, sustains vital causes, and demonstrates that responsible business isn’t defined by size, it’s defined by intention.So, while grand gestures are wonderful, they’re not the only way to make a difference. A small, consistent contribution can be just as powerful.

One small act. Multiplied. That’s how change happens.

You can read more about the CAF’s Corporate Giving Report 2025 here.