Nine out of ten adults in Ireland donated to a charity over the last year, according to findings from the Charities Regulator.
A survey conducted by Amárach Research has shown that the nature of those donations "changed significantly" over the past two years.
Financial contributions declined from 74% to 59%, while the numbers donating goods increased from 43% to 57%.
The survey, which was conducted online among a sample of 2,000 adults, also found that having trust and confidence in a charity is very important when deciding to donate - up from 65% on 2020, when a similar study was undertaken.
Dublin saw the most number of donations, followed by Connacht/Ulster, the rest of Leinster and Munster.
The types of charities that were most strongly supported during the past 12 months included medical or health related (44%), homeless or refuge services (43%), local community organisations (41%), children or youth services (29%) and animal rescue or welfare (29%).
More than eight out of ten people (84%) said they felt that charities and the work they do in Irish society is important.
The importance of charities and their impact was felt most strongly among women aged 55 and over.
A personal interest or a connection to a charity/issue remains the single largest influence (58%) for deciding which charity to support, while news and media reports about a charity (13%) is the second largest influencer.
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The survey found that a potential donor checking the bona fides of a charity before deciding to donate, would look at the charity's website (38%), online media reports relating to the charity (33%) and check whether the organisation is on the Register of Charities on the Charities Regulator website (33%).
The percentage of donors who do not check out a charity has declined from 23% to 17% over the past two years.
Almost a quarter of respondents (24%) said the reason they supported a specific charity was because they "know it is well run".
More than half (56%) of those who donate money to charity gave at least six times in the past year, with the purchase of raffle/lottery tickets being the most common form of financial donation.
Those who donated money to charity gave a higher average contribution last year - €169 compared to €155 in 2020, but charities "seem to be becoming more dependent" on over the over 55s, as this group donated the largest sums of money.
The charity shop sector is benefitting from both an increase in donations (up 13 percentage points to 57%) and in the number of goods being bought in the shops (8%).
The research showed there was strong public support for greater enforcement, tighter controls on charities by the regulator, and more checks on charities' activities.
Additionally, it found that there was a hierarchy of trust within the charity sector among the Irish public, as small local charities tend to generate the highest level of trust, while there are more neutral attitudes to larger national and international charities.
More than half (55% of adults) claimed they had direct involvement with a charity, which was driven largely by volunteering.
Typically, charity supporters remain loyal to their chosen charities, with only one in five people changing the type of charity they supported over the past two years.
The reasons for changing charities were largely based on emerging needs or specific causes that required additional support such as the war in Ukraine and homelessness.
Charities Regulator Chief Executive Helen Martin said the survey showed "the vital role that trust, and transparency play" in the sector.
However Ms Martin has also urged the public to always check the Register of Charities on the regulator's website before making a donation to any Irish charity.
"The register has a record of every charity in Ireland with information on their finances and activities taken from their annual reports to the Charities Regulator," she said.
