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October 2025 - Voluntary

Cancer Research UK takes top spot in UK charity brand rankings, according to latest study: Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has ranked first in a recent study assessing the public's perception of UK charities in 2025. 

The YouGov ‘UK Charity Brand Rankings 2025’ study was based on a nationally representative sample drawn from YouGov’s UK Profiles consumer data. Charity rankings were determined using YouGov's BrandIndex tracking tool, which collected data between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. The charities were evaluated based on the difference between the number of people who had heard positive news about them and those who had heard negative news – over a two-week period – to calculate a ‘net buzz score’.

CRUK, with a net buzz score of 12.7, is followed by Macmillan Cancer Support (12.3) and the British Heart Foundation, with a score of 10.9. Making up the rest of the top five are the National Trust (9.0) and Guide Dogs (8.3). In addition to ranking the top charity brands in the UK based on net buzz, the study also highlights the charity brands with the greatest year-on-year net buzz increase. Results show that UNICEF had the highest rise, up 1.9 points compared to 2024, followed by the Salvation Army and Save the Children (+1.6 and +1.3 vs 2024, respectively). 

When analysed by gender, findings show that the top three charity brands generating the most buzz are the same for both women and men, although their rankings differ. For women, the top three charity brands based on this metric are Macmillan Cancer Support (13.6), CRUK (12.4), and the British Heart Foundation (10.7). In contrast, for men, the top three are CRUK (13.0), the British Heart Foundation (11.1), and Macmillan Cancer Support (11.0). 

The data indicates that the differences in scores are most pronounced across generations. For Gen Z, UNICEF stands head and shoulders above the rest with a notable score of 21.0 — almost three times higher than the overall public score of 7.7. Furthermore, the results reveal that both Gen Z and Millennials include three child-centred charities in their top ten rankings - UNICEF, Children in Need and Save the Children. In contrast, neither Gen X (1965-1980) nor Baby Boomers (pre-1964) have a child-centred charity in their top ten.

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