Fewer Canadians are giving to charity, and that's a problem for everyone

For more than a decade, the number of Canadians who donate to charity has been in decline.

The number of Canadian tax filers claiming charitable donations fell from almost one in four In 2012 to just a little more than one in six in 2022, according to a Statistics Canada report.

"It changes the way I do my job every day," said Ashley Travis, development and communications coordinator for the P.E.I. Humane Society.

Fortunately, the amount each individual donates is increasing, leading to a growth in donations overall.

But the trend still leaves charities in a precarious position, said Nicole Danesi, senior manager of public relations at CanadaHelps, a charity that supports other charities with donation processing.

Every donor becomes that much more important in the current environment, Danesi said.

"When we're relying on a shrinking pool of donors, charities are potentially at risk of losing funding if those donors do not choose to come back," she said.

"We really want to make sure that charities have a diversified pool of donations so that their funding is not at risk, because they are providing critical services to communities across the country."

In a recent study, CanadaHelps tried to determine the reasons for this trend.

The 2024 Giving Report found, perhaps not surprisingly following a period of high inflation, that affordability is currently playing a big part in people's giving decisions.

But the trend of fewer people donating predates the inflation surge. The report connects another problem in recent Canadian life to how much charities are getting: social isolation.

An online survey of 1,203 Canadians, commissioned by CanadaHelps and conducted late last year, found a close correlation between donating to charity and the number of close friends someone has.

Of the survey respondents who said they had seven to 10 close friends, 84 per cent had donated to charity. Among those who reported one or no close friends, only 53 per cent had donated.

"When you have fewer friends and family you may not feel as connected to your community and the people around you," Danesi said.