Macmillan is the fastest growing large fundraising charity, increasing its combined voluntary and legacy income by nearly 250 per cent over two decades, according to an analysis by Fudraising Magazine.  

An analysis of the fundraised income of the 15 largest fundraising charities found the combined fundraised income has doubled over a 20-year period, adjusted for inflation, from £1bn in 1996 to nearly £2bn in 2016.

Macmillan Cancer Support was the fastest growing fundraising charity. Its fundraised income grew by nearly 250 per cent to £231m.  

Macmillan also increased its reliance on fundraised income over the period. In 1996 it accounted for 85 per cent of its income and it is now 95 per cent.  

Using the data that has been collected from charities’ accounts to create haysmacintyre / Charity Finance 100 Index the top 15 fundraising charities in 1996 can be identified and their performance over the last two decades in terms of fundraised income can be measured. 

The index separates income into four streams: voluntary, legacy, investment and charitable activities. To arrive at fundraised total we combine the voluntary and legacy streams.

Most growth occurred in the first half of the period, before the financial crash. 

For the charities in the sample, fundraised income has risen roughly in line with overall income, with the proportion of fundraised income hovering around 50 per cent over the period. 

Full list 

1. Macmillan – grown by 248 per cent to £231m
2. British Red Cross – grown by 186 per cent to £135m 
3. Cancer Research UK – grown by 158 per cent to £434m
4. Save the Children – grown by 114 per cent to £114m 
5. British Heart Foundation – grown by 105 per cent to £119m
6. Oxfam – grown by 100 per cent £116m
7. RSPCA – grown by 99 per cent £121m 
8. Marie Curie – grown by 89 per cent £94m
9. RNLI – grown by 74 per cent to £182m 
10. NSPCC – grown by 54 per cent to £107m
11. RNIB – grown by 45 per cent to £67m
12. National Trust – grown by 34 per cent to £65m
13. Salvation Army – grown by 28 per cent to £125m
14. ActionAid – shrunk by 11 per cent to £41m
15. Barnardo’s – shrunk by 22 per cent to £42m

Subscribers to fundraising magazine can read the full analysis here. 

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