Skip to content
How charities work [Home]
  • About charities
    • What is a charity?
      • Why are universities, churches and private schools charities?
      • Are social enterprises charities?
    • What do charities do?
    • How many charities are there?
    • What are the most popular causes?
  • Raising and spending money
    • Fundraising with the public
      • Charity shops
      • Face-to-face fundraising
      • Telephone fundraising
      • Charity adverts
    • Working with the government or local councils
    • Foundations and investments
    • Overheads
    • Staff costs
    • Senior staff salaries
    • Charities and tax
  • Being accountable
    • How charities are regulated
    • Trustees
    • Annual reports
    • Charitable spending
    • Charities and politics
  • Get involved
    • Giving to charity
    • Raising Money for Charity
    • Volunteering
    • Becoming a trustee
    • Working for a charity
    • Starting a charity
    • Concerns about a charity
  • Your questions
  • Home
  • >

Similar content: giving

Fundraising with the public

Charities are only able to make the difference they do thanks to the fundraising and support of the public.

Read moreFundraising with the public

About charities

Charities can only do what they do thanks to your support, so it’s essential that you have complete confidence in how they work.

Read moreAbout charities

Your questions

We want to answer some of the questions people often ask about charities.

  • Have charities got too big?
  • Fake charities and charity fraud: what to watch out for
  • How charities are addressing concerns about fundraising
  • Too many charities?

About this site

Charities want to make sure that their supporters have complete confidence in what they do. NCVO, which represents charities, has created this site to answer some of the common questions people have about how charities work. Read more about this site.

Stay up to date

Sign up to receive NCVO’s newsletter for the latest charity news and comment.

Help us improve

Please get in touch with NCVO if you have any ideas for, or questions about, this website.

Other resources

  • UK Civil Society Almanac
  • Knowhow Nonprofit
  • Charity Commission
NCVO logo

Up to top of page // Homepage // Privacy // Ownership and sharing.

How charities work © copyright 2016–2025 NCVO