Why regular giving matters: consistent support when it’s needed most
You might have noticed that many charities ask people to donate monthly. So, what are monthly donations, and why are they important to organisations like ours?
Why are monthly donations important to charities?
Giving monthly to charity is a good example of how something small can make a big impact. Giving a regular donation to charities like the British Red Cross is important because it helps organisations to plan long-term projects and to ensure they are prepared to respond faster in emergencies.
This long-term support makes it possible for people to move forward after a crisis, armed with the long-lasting tools they need to rebuild their lives and focus on the future with dignity and independence.
For charities, a reliable source of income makes a huge difference. Knowing we have consistent financial support to power our work allows us to stay with communities on a longer-term basis, supporting people in rebuilding their lives as strongly as possible.
Support doesn't just happen in moments
Often when charities respond to a crisis, people will only see the initial moments as captured on television. But for someone whose life has been turned upside down, recovery is not immediate. Support is crucial in the days, months and years that follow.
After an emergency, the British Red Cross and its partners stay in the communities most impacted. Once the news cameras have left the scene of a hurricane, earthquake, or flood, our teams remain embedded in those communities as they rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
The Red Cross’s global network of National Societies is present in over 190 countries worldwide and is powered by volunteers from the very communities they serve. Many crises have no start or end point. Regular donations ensure the Red Cross can stay and be there for people as they rebuild, adapt and look forward to a brighter future.
Examples of where monthly donations are important in supporting our work
The British Red Cross’s work doesn’t always start after an emergency. Regular donations ensure that support is in place as soon as it is needed.
Over a decade of support in Lebanon
In March 2026, this came into action in Lebanon, after the escalation of conflict in the Middle East. The British Red Cross has maintained a continuous presence in Lebanon for more than 14 years, supporting a wide range of activities, including disaster response and critical ambulance services. This long-term work enabled our partners the Lebanese Red Cross to mobilise within 48 hours of the escalation, becoming the first responders on the ground.
Since the escalation, British Red Cross support in Lebanon has strengthened multiple areas of response, including:
- Cash assistance for displaced families
- Disaster management, including prepositioning of emergency stocks
- Ambulance services, currently the only functioning nationwide ambulance network.
Hala, a mother-of-three from the suburbs of Beirut, received cash assistance after her home was largely destroyed in the conflict.
“Every support helps but the cash assistance gives more relief to the heart, because a person knows what they need to buy,” said Hala. “We used the amount to buy some things we needed, but mainly medicine. I am sick, I have high blood pressure and I need medication – medicine is the most important thing.”
Hala, who is from Beirut, received cash assistance. (Credit: Lebanese Red Cross)
The British Red Cross arranged transport to the hospital for Ted (Credit: British Red Cross)
Helping Ted and Eileen stay connected after a car accident
Long-term support can come in many different forms. When Ted, 87, had a car accident, he suddenly found himself unable to visit his wife of 66 years, Eileen. Eileen has Alzheimer’s and has lived in a care home for nearly four years.
While recuperating from the accident in a different care home, staff contacted the British Red Cross to see if they could arrange transport for Ted. “It was such a blessing to me, I can’t explain what I felt like,” said Ted.
“The Red Cross team that took me down were brilliant. They dropped me off and said, ‘We’ll come back when you ring us’. They helped me tremendously through a very bad time.”
Support beyond the headlines
Emergencies are rare for individuals but happen to people and communities daily. In 2025, the British Red Cross responded to four emergencies in the UK every day, and supported 1.8 million people globally before, during and after a disaster.
Not every emergency makes the headlines, but whether it’s flooding after a storm, a failed harvest, or a housefire, they devastate communities and destroy lives.
On those days, we’re there for people. Monthly donations are so important because they mean we can be there in the days, months and years after the disaster.
How giving monthly makes our work possible
The British Red Cross can only support people in the UK and overseas with your help. Monthly donations are so important because they are a promise to support us consistently. Giving a little, regularly, means we can plan and support schemes all year round. Your donation could help us across everything we do – like cash assistance for Hala and her family, and providing transport for Ted on his daily visits to Eileen.
- £5 a month could provide a community in Bangladesh with training on water sanitation and hygiene, helping people keep themselves healthy after a disaster.
- £12 a month could buy a hygiene pack for a refugee or person seeking asylum in the UK, giving them access to some of the basics no one should have to go without.
- £25 a month could help to distribute a first aid kit to provide life-saving treatment, preventing deaths from preventable accidents every month.
Give monthly now
Help us support people rebuilding their lives after a crisis with a monthly donation.
Donate now