YOUNG BULGARIANS ARE MUCH MORE CHARITABLE THAN OLDER COMPATRIOTS
CAF RELEASES ITS BULGARIA GIVING REPORT
17 April 2019
Download the 2019 Bulgaria Giving report here.
Younger people in Bulgaria are significantly more likely to donate money to charity and volunteer their time for causes that they care about, when compared to older generations.
That’s according to the Bulgaria Giving report released today, research aiming to provide a greater understanding of how Bulgarians give to charity.
The youngest group aged 18-24 are more likely on average to have donated or sponsored both in the last 12 months (72% vs. 51% on average) and in the last four weeks (40% vs. 26% on average).
Younger people aged 18-34 are also more likely than average to have volunteered in the past 12 months (45% vs. 34%), as well as in the last four weeks (22% vs. 14% on average).
Other key findings of the research include:
- Half (51%) of Bulgarians gave money in the past 12 months, either to a charity, to a church/religious organisation or by sponsoring someone
- Supporting children is the most popular cause for Bulgarians to give to, with over half (53%) of donors giving to this cause
- The typical amount donated or sponsored in the past 12 months is 100 lev
- Giving using cash is the most popular method of donation for Bulgarians (57%), followed by donation boxes in shops/supermarkets and paying by SMS/text (52% and 46% respectively)
- A third (34%) have volunteered in the last 12 months, with supporting children being the top cause (46%)
- The majority of Bulgarians feel that charities have had a positive impact on the country as a whole, internationally, and on their local community
The report was commissioned by BCause, Bulgarian partner of the Charities Aid Foundation, an international charity that helps people and companies to give worldwide.
Amongst Bulgarians who volunteered their time, the most popular cause is supporting children (46%), followed by older people (34%), the poor (33%) and disabled people (26%).
Believing that we all need to help solve social problems is the most common reason given by Bulgarians as to why they gave money, with nearly half (45%) saying this. This is especially important for women, of whom over half (51%) say this underpins their giving, compared to 39% of men. Because it makes donors feel good (43%) and wanting to help people less fortunate than them (37%) are the next most cited reasons.
Knowing for sure how their money would be spent is the main thing that would encourage Bulgarians to donate more money, with 61% saying this, followed by having more money themselves which over half (54%) say would encourage future giving. More transparency in the sector is also of importance, with a third (33%) citing this reason. Only 3% say that nothing would encourage them to give more in the future.
Commenting on the report, Elitsa Barakova, Executive Director of BCause adds:
“Our findings show that the majority of Bulgarians view charities in a positive light. It is a clear sign for those involved in the sector that working honestly and transparently pays off and encourages them to address Bulgarian donors more often in the future.”
Notes to editors:
Methodology
This report is based on data collected by YouGov on behalf of CAF.
In Bulgaria, 1,000 interviews were completed online between 2 and 31 August 2018. The survey was conducted using YouGov’s panel partner, Research Now, an international online panel provider.
The sample 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 BCause
BCause is a civil society organisation and CAF’s Global Alliance partner organisation in Bulgaria. Operating for more than 20 years, BCause works to build and support a thriving and sustainable civil society by providing strategic philanthropic solutions to individuals, companies and foundations. Always at the forefront of driving continuous development of practices in Bulgarian philanthropy; the BCause Foundation established the Rinker Center for Entrepreneurship and Training in 2014 to promote education, lifelong learning and support for entrepreneurship and business development in Bulgaria.
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.
Download the 2019 Bulgaria Giving report