George Young

Senior Media Relations Officer

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NEARLY THREE-QUARTERS OF CANADIANS THINK CHARITIES HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE COUNTRY

CAF RELEASES ITS CANADA GIVING 2019 REPORT.

20 March 2019

Download the 2019 Canada Giving report here.

When it comes to giving money to the causes they care about, Canadian people are becoming increasingly generous. The average amount donated or sponsored last year was C$150, rising from C$104 the year before.

That’s according to the Canada Giving 2019 report, produced by the charity CAF Canada and the most comprehensive study of its kind. The report also reveals that the vast majority of Canadians are supportive of the concept of charitable giving.

Nearly three quarters (73%) of Canadians say that charities have had a positive influence both on their local community and on Canada as a whole, moreover 65% believe they have had a positive impact internationally. Very few people say that charities have had a negative impact on these areas.

Other key findings of the research include:

  • Nearly two thirds (65%) of people report giving money in the last 12 months; through a combination of donating to a charity / nonprofit (57%), by giving to a church or other religious organizations (32%), or by sponsoring someone for a charity (26%)
  • Three in ten Canadians (30%) have volunteered in the last year; religious organizations are the most popular cause (27%). This is consistent with the proportion who volunteered in 2017
  • Helping the poor and supporting children (orphans, seriously ill children, children with disabilities) are the most popular causes given to in Canada; 29% of donors gave to each

Canada Giving body image

Young people and baby-boomers in Canada have something in common; they’re the most likely age groups to have undertaken a charitable activity in the last 12 months, with 83% of 18-24 year olds and 78% of the over 55s having done so.

Canadians aged 18-24 are also more likely than others to have volunteered, with 34% having done so in the four weeks prior to interview and 54% in the last year.  This age group is also more likely than average to donate to a range of causes, including supporting children (50% vs. 29%), helping the poor (41% vs. 29%), supporting disabled people (28% vs. 14%), supporting homeless people (25% vs. 14%), and supporting older people (18% vs. 10%). 

Older donors aged 55+ are more likely to be charitable because they care about the cause (63% vs. 44% of those aged 18-24) and because they trust the organizations they donate to (45% vs. 23% of 18-24s).

Commenting on the report, Ted Hart, President of CAF Canada adds:

“It’s wonderful to see that millions of Canadian people have such a passion for helping those less fortunate, whether that’s by donating to charity, sponsoring a loved one or volunteering locally.

“The Canada Giving 2019 report forms part of a global series, looking at how populations around the world are interacting with charities and the nonprofit sector. We’re seeing that the majority of people across the planet appreciate the important work that charities do, and regularly get involved to make a positive difference.”

Notes to editors:

Methodology

This report is based on data collected by YouGov on behalf of CAF.

In Canada, 1,002 interviews were completed online between 2 and 31 August 2018. The survey was conducted using YouGov’s panel partner, Toluna, an international online panel provider.

The sample is nationally representative and is weighted to known population data on demographics including age, gender, and region.

Differences are reported at the 95% confidence level (the level of confidence that the results are a true reflection of the whole population). The maximum margin of error (the amount of random sampling error) is calculated as ±3%.

About CAF Canada

CAF Canada (Charities Aid Foundation of Canada) is a registered Canadian charity working to expand the culture of giving by making it easy, reliable and effective for Canadians to give both internationally and domestically.

Our mission is to help donors make strategic and focused philanthropic decisions which have a lasting, positive impact on the individuals and communities they support – throughout the world.

For more information please visit www.cafcanada.ca

About CAF

The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is a leading international charity registered in the United Kingdom, with nine offices covering six continents.

CAF exists to make giving go further, so that more lives and communities around the world can be transformed.

CAF is a charity and a champion for better giving, and for over 90 years has helped donors, companies, charities and social organisations make a bigger impact. Through CAF Bank, it offers simple and straightforward day-to-day banking, designed exclusively for charities.

We are CAF and we make giving count.

www.cafonline.org

About CAF Global Alliance

The CAF Global Alliance is a leading international network of independent, locally led organisations working at the forefront of philanthropy and civil society. It is a champion for better giving and civil society and harnesses local knowledge and expertise to help donors, companies and civil society make a bigger impact. Last year more than 70,000 charities received over £500m in donations in more than 100 countries.

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