Dutch charities saw their income grow over the past year despite the economic crisis, with most of the increase coming from private legacies, according to the Volkskrant.

The average income of the 40 biggest charities grew by 1.8% to €840m, with a 10.6% rise in legacies.

The importance of legacies can be seen in the figures for Amnesty International quoted in the Volkskrant. Last year, 10,000 people cancelled their membership, but this loss of income was compensated for by one legacy of €700,000 in December.

Top three

Of the top three charities in the legacy list, the cancer charity KWF Kankerbestrijding received €39m in legacies in 2013, the Salvation Army €20m, and the Zonnebloem, which organises holidays for the handicapped, €14m.

It is expected that the importance of legacies will continue to increase, the paper says.