The amount of money raised by the country’s biggest 25 charities last year was hit by the recession, with many groups reporting a downturn in donations over the year.

However, the country’s biggest charity, the anti-cancer KWF Kankerbestrijding, managed to boost its income almost 10% to €137m. Animal rights group Dierenbescherming and Christian aid group Compassion also increased their income by 18% and 17% respectively.

These successes highlight the impact of one-off campaigns in alleviating the effect of the recession on donations, the Volkskrant reported.

The main losers were the Red Cross, where donations fell 20% and Cordaid, down almost 19%. The Red Cross said its 2011 earnings were inflated by a special fund-raising drive.

In total, 12 of the 25 biggest charities reported a downturn in donations last year. The big 25 managed to raise a combined €746m.