Cancer Research UK’s three new crowdfunding campaigns did not manage to raise even 10 per cent of the money the projects needed.

Last month CRUK posted three research projects on crowdfunding platform Indiegogo in a bid to raise a total of £190,000 by last week. It was the first time that the charity had hoped to fund projects entirely through crowdfunding.

But just £12,447 was pledged across the three campaigns, by 338 donors.

The skin cancer project, which had been hoping to raise £75,000, raised £6,824; the lung cancer project raised £3,059 of its £75,000 goal and the immune system project raised £2,564 out of a targeted £40,000.

CRUK has not yet responded to an invitation to comment.

Kids Company raises £75,000 via crowdfunding platform

Elsewhere, Kids Company is three-quarters of the way to its £100,000 using Crowdfunder to pay for a community Christmas party on 25 December. The charity will receive all the money pledged to its 'Give the gift of Christmas' campaign by 24 December.

The charity will provide hot meals, presents and games for 4,000 disadvantaged children and their families.

Earlier this year Kids Company warned that it faced closure if new funds were not found by the end of this year. Its chief executive Camila Batmanghelidjhtold The Sunday Times that she can only sustain the charity until the end of the financial year, as its government funding of £4.5m runs out in March.