The number of Canadians donating to charity has reached its lowest point in 20 years, according to a study done by the Fraser Institute. .“The holiday season is a time to reflect on charitable giving, and the data shows Canadians are consistently less charitable every year, which means charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need,” said Fraser Institute senior policy analyst and study co-author Jake Fuss in a press release. .The study said the total amount donated by Canadians during the 2020 tax year was 0.49% of their income, the lowest amount since at least 2000. It said Canadian generosity peaked at 0.72% in 2006, before declining in subsequent years. .The province where the people donated the largest percentage of their incomes was Manitoba (0.73%). .The province coming in second place for percentage of income donated was British Columbia (0.64%). This was followed by Alberta (0.61%), Ontario (0.6%), and Saskatchewan (0.5%). .Nunavut was the jurisdiction where people donated the least of their salaries (0.14%). .The study went on to say the percentage of Canadian tax filers donating to charity has fallen from 25.5% in 2000 to 19.1% in 2020. .The province with the highest percentage of tax filers documenting their donations was Manitoba at 20.6%. .Subsequent to Manitoba was Ontario (19%). This was followed by Quebec (18.7%), Prince Edward Island (18.5%), and Alberta and British Columbia (17.7%). .Nunavut was the jurisdiction with the fewest charity tax credit filers (6%). .The study said the province with the highest dollar value of all charitable donations was Alberta ($2,883). .British Columbia came in second place ($2,752). After British Columbia were Ontario ($2,400), Manitoba ($2,398), and Nunavut ($2,320). .Quebec was the province which saw people give the least to charity ($840). .“A smaller proportion of Canadians are donating to registered charities than what we saw in previous decades, and those who are donating are donating less,” said Fuss. .“This decline in generosity in Canada undoubtedly limits the ability of Canadian charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond.”.There are 26% of Canadians who could soon need help from charities, according to a February Ipsos poll. .READ MORE: New study predicts 1 in 4 Canadians in need of charitable help.Almost three-quarters of Canadians said they are concerned about inflation, and one-quarter vowed to give less to charities in 2022 due to financial problems. .“The charitable sector is at a critical inflection point as rising inflation rates and pandemic challenges collide,” said former CanadaHelps president and CEO Marina Glogovac.
