Landmark report to reveal the scale and potential of UK Catholic giving

Source: Catholics in Fundraising

A major new study, 'Catholic Generosity', will be launched early this summer, offering the most comprehensive analysis to date of Catholic philanthropy, charitable activity, and wealth in the United Kingdom.

Commissioned by Catholics in Fundraising (CiF), and prepared by Astarita Aldrich Ward, the report sets out, for the first time, an evidence-based picture of the Catholic charitable and philanthropic landscape across the country.

Drawing on regulator data, sector benchmarking, and extensive research into wealth, giving behaviour and investment trends, the findings are expected to reshape understanding of the role Catholic generosity already plays, and the far greater potential it represents.

The analysis reveals a community of significant scale and influence.

With approximately 5.3 million Catholics in the UK and billions in associated household wealth, the report highlights a largely underexplored intersection of faith, philanthropy and capital.

It also provides the first consolidated view of Catholic charities as a sector: organisations which collectively generate billions in annual income and asset holdings, placing them, in aggregate, among the most significant forces for good in British civil society.

Crucially, the report goes beyond description to examine opportunity. It identifies substantial untapped potential in areas such as legacy giving, major philanthropy, and faith-consistent investment, pointing to the possibility of step-change growth in charitable funding if current gaps are addressed.

The research also explores the distinctive contribution of Catholic Social Teaching to questions of wealth and stewardship, positioning giving and investment not simply as financial decisions but as moral and social commitments oriented towards the common good.

As debates intensify around the future of philanthropy, the role of private capital in addressing social need, and the alignment of values with investment, this report arrives at a moment of particular relevance. It provides a rare, data-driven lens on a major but often overlooked part of the UK's philanthropic ecosystem, one with deep institutional roots, global reach, and long-term societal impact.

The full report will be launched this summer.

Catholics in Fundraising is the UK's leading network for Catholics working in fundraising. It builds community, shares best practices, and encourages innovation within the Catholic context. To join the weekly Catholics in Fundraising e-newsletter, email: catholicsinfundraising@gmail.com