The holiday season has always been a time for opening our hearts and wallets to charity, but this year, more Canadians are cutting giving out of the budget as they try to conserve cash.
Driving the news: 20% of Canadians plan to give less to charity this holiday season than last, while another 22% plan not to give at all.
- A spokesperson for the Salvation Army (the quintessential holiday charity with its famous Kettle Campaign) told Global, its fundraising is down 20% this year.
High inflation also means that every dollar donated doesn’t go as far as it used to, with one survey finding 83% of small charities dealing with rising operating costs.
Why it matters: Canadians have been giving less since the pandemic began (projected to be 12% less between 2019 and 2021) and are set to pull back further. Meanwhile, the same economic factors have left 22% of Canadians seeking charitable help to make ends meet.
- A myriad of Canadian charities have reported increased usage this year, perhaps most notably Food Banks Canada, which saw a record number of visitors in March.
Yes, but: Almost half of Canadians claim they are still thinking about those that are less fortunate, going as far as to say they would prefer to receive a charitable gift, like a donation in their name, this holiday season (in case you needed some gifting inspiration).