A quarter of charities in the UK have been impacted by the challenging social environment, according to new research published by the Charity Commission. The research, conducted by BMG in February 2026, involved a survey of almost 3,000 trustees of a representative sample of charities.
The findings show that charities promoting causes such as human rights, or religious and racial harmony are most likely to say they have been impacted. Incidents reported include vandalism or damage to their property, a decrease in support, and having to change or stop services.
Assistant Director of Policy at the Charity Commission, Rachel Wenstone, said: 'This research gives us clear evidence of the scale of what charities have been telling us over the past 18 months. We have heard deeply concerning accounts of staff being threatened, intimidated, and left afraid simply for doing their jobs.'
Despite the challenges faced by charities, public trust in charities remains high. According to separate research, charities are among the most trusted groups in society, second only after doctors. The main reason people report trusting charities is that most of the money raised reaches the end cause.