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Do we give on Giving Tuesday?

 

After days of shopping their brains out in-store and online, Canadians will be prompted this Giving Tuesday to instead spend their time, treasure and talents on charitable causes in the community.

And while two-thirds say they’re comfortable with their own levels of charitable contribution, a significant segment (30%) say they feel they should be doing more.

What’s driving this gap between intention and action? The second report in a four-part study from the Angus Reid Institute and in partnership with CHIMP: Charitable Impact Foundation finds lack of financial means to be a major factor for some.

But skepticism and doubt about whether their dollars are well and effectively spent by charities also looms large in the decision to give or not.

Further, a group of younger, wealthier and more-educated Canadians – a crucial segment of the population with the potential to morph from one-off to ongoing donors – say they would give more if they felt confident in the charitable sector, connected enough to the causes they care most about, and were being approached in a different way.

More Key Findings:

  • Three-quarters of Canadians have donated to at least one charitable cause over the past two years. Canadians are more likely (57%) to have given in response to a prompt from an organization than on their own initiative. Still, four-in-ten (43%) give on an ongoing basis to at least one charity.
  • Conversations during childhood at home appear to have an impact on giving behaviour. Two-thirds (64%) of those categorized as Super Donors say they were exposed to concepts of charity and altruism by their parents, while among Non-Donors, two-thirds (64%) say they were not
  • Among the three-in-ten Canadians who say they should be doing more for charity, half (51%) say financial concerns are the sole barrier. A significant portion also say there are a number of factors including the legitimacy (54%) and effectiveness (58%) of charities
  • Canadians are most likely to support charities involved in health and disease prevention – half (56%) have donated or volunteered with one in the past two years. A similar number (51%) say they have done the same with respect to poverty relief organizations
  • Most Canadians (68%) say they would be able to find the necessary resources to decide which charitable cause to support, but a similar amount also express interest in more tools from organizations themselves
  • Six-in-ten donors (61%) who support religious or faith-based causes say they give on an ongoing basis. Other sectors appear more reliant on one-time donations – no other issue receives recurring donations from more than four-in-ten
  • Six-in-ten Canadians (61%) say they would give more if they felt more confident about charities and where the money is going, while half (48%) said they would be more generous if they could find the right cause for them

Link to the poll here: www.angusreid.org/giving-tuesday

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