A poll by the Office of Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) found that 77% of Scots have little or no interest in charities’ work.

And the charities said “money issues”, the recession and funding are their top three worries.

Charity advisors PKF analysed the findings and said charities are under pressure because demand for their services is increasing at the same time as their income is being reduced.

Many charities funded by local authorities are having their budgets cut, while those dependent on public donations are getting less money as people try to save in the recession.

Further problems have been caused by falling share prices and the collapse of the property market. PKF’s Martin Gill said: “Many charities rely on legacies, often property-based, as a source of income and the value of these has reduced dramatically over the last year.

“Charities also rely on income from shares and this too has been seriously diminished since the credit crunch began in 2007. The concern is that at this time of greater need for charity activity there also seems to be a surprisingly limited interest.

“The pool of individuals willing to be involved either in donating or in volunteering is limited, making the task of fundraising and maintaining services even harder.

“The work of charities has never been more in demand and their services have never been more in need.

“The coming year will be a challenge for all charities. Maintaining services is going to be demanding in the face of declining income and limited public interest.”