CanadaHelps' 2024 Giving Report Reveals the Number of Canadians Donating to Charity Hits Lowest Point in Recent History
April 17 2024 - 6:00AM
CanadaHelps, the country's largest platform for donating and
fundraising online, today released the seventh edition of The
Giving Report, an annual look at the charitable sector and the
state of giving. The Giving Report 2024: From Disconnection to
Collective Action highlights significant declines in the number of
Canadians donating to charities, while thousands of charities
struggle to meet heightened demand for their services, and the
level of disconnection experienced by Canadians is making it harder
for individuals to see how they can make an impact. The complete
report is available online here.
“One of the most significant findings from this year's report is
the continued declining donation rate, due in part to shrinking
social networks and a sense of disconnection and isolation among
Canadians, which has caused Canadians to have a difficult time
seeing how they can effect change,” says Duke Chang, President and
CEO of CanadaHelps. “At the same time, donation amounts are rising
which means those who do make charitable contributions are giving
more. This worrisome trend highlights the charitable sector's
vulnerability. Relying on a shrinking group of donors with the
ability and willingness to continue to give more is creating a
significant risk to the sustainability of charities in times of
economic uncertainty.”
Key Findings from The Giving
Report 2024The report – which was created
with the support of Imagine Canada, along with presenting partner
and data provider Environics Analytics – reveals new data relating
to the state of giving in Canada and the health of the charitable
sector. Key findings include:
- Giving participation
decline: For the eleventh consecutive year, the number of
Canadians making charitable donations has decreased. Over that
time, Canada Revenue Agency tax filer data shows donation rates
declined from 23.4 percent in 2010 to 17.7 percent in 2021. Similar
findings were also highlighted which reveals that giving
participation dropped from 82 percent in 2013 to 60 percent in our
2023 survey.
- Canadians with smaller social
networks donate and volunteer less: Canadians are
increasingly disconnected, and their social networks have shrunk;
this correlates with lower rates of giving. From 2013 to 2022, the
number of Canadians with six or more close friends has declined by
40 percent (from 37% to 22%), and those who feel a very strong
sense of belonging to their community have dropped by 12 percentage
points. More than 80 percent (84%) of those with many close friends
donate, while just over half (53%) of those with very few close
friends donate.
- There is a gap
between
what Canadians
say is
important and the
action
they
take: Only 1.5 percent of
donations made through CanadaHelps are directed to environmental
charities, despite 32 percent of Canadians saying climate change or
protecting the environment is a top cause for them, and almost half
(48 percent) of Canadians expressing anxiety about climate change
on at least somewhat of a regular basis.
- Demand for charitable services is high: More
than half (57 percent) of charities are unable to meet current
levels of demand, which speaks to the gap between the growing
challenges charities face and their ability to provide support.
According to an Ipsos survey commissioned by CanadaHelps last fall,
one in five Canadians was using charitable services to meet
essential needs in 2023. Almost seven in ten (69 percent) said this
was the first time they relied on charity.
The Giving Report also reveals several other major contributing
factors to the decline in the number of charitable donations or
giving participation, including:
- Financial strain exacerbated by
inflation and economic uncertainty.
- Lack of clarity around the impact of
charitable donations.
- Diminishing engagement of younger
Canadians in charitable giving versus previous generations. This
presents a significant concern for the future of charities, which
have become increasingly reliant on older donors.
- Declining religiosity among Canadians.
From 2019 to 2023, online donations through CanadaHelps almost
doubled, one of the brightest findings from The Giving Report.
Monthly giving also continues to grow, increasing by 11 percent,
likely as a result of affordability issues persisting and Canadians
budgeting for planned giving. Donations of securities also continue
to increase rapidly, rising by 32 percent in 2023. Suburban and
rural families were also the only demographic showing growth in
donations.
“While there are many concerning giving trends that put
charities at risk, there are also bright spots, including the rise
in monthly donations and securities,” says Chang. “While
affordability challenges have not levelled off, it is critical that
Canadians who are in the position to give do so to help Canadians
in need by donating, volunteering, or taking action in another
way.”
About The Giving Report
2024The Giving Report 2024 brings together
critical insights and analysis from several data sources. To help
Canadians understand the challenges charities are facing and the
importance of their giving, CanadaHelps commissioned Leger Opinion
to conduct an online survey. Completed by 1,230 Canadians, the
study provides an authoritative look at the state of the charitable
sector today. The report also uses the vast volumes of CanadaHelps’
online giving data, which includes more than $430 million in
donations from more than 839,000 Canadians in support of thousands
of charities across Canada in 2023 alone. Environics Analytics
provided analysis and insights into demographic, financial,
psychographic, and behavioural trends in CanadaHelps data. Imagine
Canada provided deeper analysis and data verification of various
data from the Canada Revenue Agency.
About CanadaHelpsCanadaHelps is Canada’s
largest online donation and fundraising platform, and a charity
advancing philanthropy through technology. For Canadians,
CanadaHelps.org is a safe and trusted destination for discovering
and supporting any charity in Canada. The organization also powers
UniteforChange.com, where Canadians can learn about and easily
support the collective work of charities addressing causes they
care about. CanadaHelps also develops affordable fundraising
technology used by more than 30,000 charities, and provides free
training and education so all charities can increase their impact
and succeed in the digital age. Since 2000, more than 4.6 million
people have donated upwards of $3 billion through CanadaHelps.
Connect with CanadaHelps on X, Facebook, Instagram and
LinkedIn.
Note to Media:The Giving Report 2024 media kit
can be downloaded here.
Media Contact:Jodi EchakowitzBoulevard PR (on
behalf of CanadaHelps)media@canadahelps.org
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fbf26690-731f-49a1-9928-52bf8a39bbec