Report sheds light on which advocacies saw the largest increases
As the global pandemic sent the world plunging into crisis last year, Canadians took to their laptops and smartphones in unprecedented numbers, rallying to support worthy causes online.
In its 2021 Giving Report, CanadaHelps said that online donations accelerated at a record pace last year. The platform saw more than $480 million come in from 1.1 million Canadians, more than twice the amount that was donated online in 2019.
Online giving has taken on significant importance as overall fundraising activity across the philanthropic sector has been curtailed by the pandemic. Based on data made available by the Canada Revenue Agency going back to 2007, CanadaHelps projected that overall charitable giving slipped by 10% last year, decreasing to 2016 levels.
“It is clear that while the sector is struggling with circumstances beyond its control, online donations have been critical to keeping charities afloat,” said CanadaHelps President and CEO Marina Glogovac. “What is especially encouraging is the growing interest we are seeing in supporting smaller, local charities and social causes.”
The medical sector benefited from Canadians’ generosity, particularly through significant increases in donations to hospitals, frontline healthcare workers, and health services. Through two of CanadaHelps’ Cause Funds, donors gave more than $5.1 million to roughly 630 charities responding to the pandemic.
Aside from health-focused charities, those that support Indigenous Peoples and social services were the fastest-growing categories in terms of online donations. But despite seeing the fastest online growth of any category last year, charities supporting Indigenous Peoples still received the lowest volume of donations.
And in what might be a sign of increasing urgency around the threat of climate change, Canadians’ online donations to environmental charities underwent its fastest growth in four years.
As observed in previous Giving Reports, the latest survey revealed a striking gap in giving across age groups. Canadians aged 55 and above reportedly gave at twice the rate of younger Canadians. However, younger people gave more to Cause Funds that focused on social justice issues, such as CanadaHelps’ Black Solidarity Fund.
“Young people have been moved to donate in response to social and racial justice movements,” Glogovac said. “Their drive to donate is influenced by a particular cause — often pressing social issues — and not by a specific charity. These new donors are culturally diverse, educated, reside in cities, and are comfortable donating online.”
