- [countable] an organization for helping people in need
- a registered charity
- the UK's largest children's charity
- Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine.
- The concert will raise money for local charities.
- My parents always supported charities.
- charity for somebody/something a charity for homeless people
Culture charitiescharitiesCharities are independent organizations that help people in need or animals. They are also involved with human rights, education, medical research and conservation of the environment. Many of them began in the time before governments provided any social services, when poor people had to turn to charitable organizations for help. Charities rely on money given by the public, and on help from volunteers in fundraising and carrying out their activities. One of the factors that people may consider when choosing which charity to support is the percentage of the money that goes directly to the cause, rather than on other expenses. Many charities that are now well known throughout the world, such as Oxfam and Amnesty International, began in Britain. In Britain organizations qualify for charitable status if they are established for the 'public good'. Many charities ask well-known people, including members of the royal family, to become their patrons. Charities do not pay tax on the money they receive, but they are not allowed to make a profit.Charities in Britain are not allowed to take part in political activity, so some set up a separate pressure group which campaigns on related issues. The Charity Commission keeps a list of charities and advises them. The Charities Aid Foundation provides services to charities and helps people to donate to them. Well-known charities working in Britain include Save the Children, Oxfam, Cancer Research UK, which pays for research into cancer treatments, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Age UK and Shelter.In the past US religious organizations received most money from the public, but their share has fallen recently. Well-known charities include the Red Cross, the United Way of America, the Salvation Army, Task Force for Global Health, and the American Cancer Society. Local charities operate shelters for homeless people and soup kitchens where poor people can eat free.A lot of the work done by charities in the US, such as caring for people in need, is done in other countries by the government. Americans have a strong belief that, if possible, private groups, not the government, should do this work.A traditional method of raising money involves volunteers standing in busy streets asking members of the public to put money in a collecting tin. In exchange, they are given a paper sticker with the charity's name on it. The British Legion's charity day, called Poppy Day, has become a feature of British life.Nearly every town in Britain has several charity shops. These are run by volunteer staff and sell second-hand clothes, books and household goods at low prices in aid of charity. Some shops, for example Oxfam shops, also sell goods made by people who are benefiting from the charity's work. At Christmas, people often buy charity cards, Christmas greetings cards sold in aid of charity. Charity shops (NAmE thrift shops) are less common in the US, but include shops run by the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries.The telethon is an effective method of fundraising in both Britain and the US. During an evening of popular television programmes, television stars ask the public to telephone and pledge (= promise) money to the charities involved. The Comic Relief evening in Britain and the muscular dystrophy telethon in the US (the MDA Show of Strength) are famous. Other fundraising activities include fêtes (= outdoor events with stalls selling cakes, etc. and activities for children). Sponsored walks, fun runs, even parachute jumps, where people agree to give money to a person completing a task, are also popular. At Christmas or Thanksgiving, schools and churches organize collections of food, called food drives in the US, for old people and the poor.An important source of funds for charities in Britain is the National Lottery, which gives a percentage of its income to 'good causes'.In both Britain and the US many workers have money taken from their pay and sent to charity. This is called payroll giving. Some companies in the US hold fundraising drives, in which different parts of the company compete to see which of them pledges the most money. The United Way of America, a national organization that collects money to give to small local charities, benefits from this. Many people leave money to charity in their will. It is also common, when somebody dies, for the family to ask people to send a contribution to a charity instead of sending flowers to the funeral.Topics Social issuesa2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- international
- local
- national
- …
- donate (money) to
- give (money) to
- support
- …
- appeal
- drive
- auction
- …
- for charity
- charity for
- an act of charity
- [uncountable] organizations for helping people in need, considered as a group; the money, food, help, etc. that they give
- Most of the runners in the London Marathon are raising money for charity.
- A portion of the proceeds was donated to charity.
- Do you give much to charity?
- a charity event (= organized to get money for charity)
- All the profits go to charity.
- a charity auction/concert/football match
- She does a lot of charity work.
- to live on/off charity (= to live on money which other people give you because you are poor)
Extra ExamplesTopics Social issuesa2- The school raised a lot of money for charity.
- The school raised over a hundred pounds for charity.
- They are proud people who don't accept charity.
- They have no money and are forced to live on charity.
- He refused to live off charity.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- international
- local
- national
- …
- donate (money) to
- give (money) to
- support
- …
- appeal
- drive
- auction
- …
- for charity
- charity for
- an act of charity
- [uncountable] (formal) kind behaviour and sympathy towards other people, especially when you are judging them
- Her article showed no charity towards her former friends.
- He replied patiently, with more charity than I deserved.
Word Originlate Old English (in the sense ‘Christian love of one's fellows’): from Old French charite, from Latin caritas, from carus ‘dear’.
Idioms
See charity in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee charity in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishcharity begins at home
- (saying) you should help and care for your own family, etc. before you start helping other people
Check pronunciation:
charity