Understanding How the Deep Connection Between Our Social Ties and Our Willingness to Give Can Inspire Action

CanadaHelps examines the state of philanthropic giving in Canada and its impact on the charitable sector in the latest edition of The Giving Report.

For the eleventh year running, the number of Canadians making charitable donations has declined. A myriad of issues which include financial strain and the growing generational divide (the “giving gap”) have been putting the squeeze on Canadians’ generosity. Yet, our data also reveals a clear correlation between social connections and philanthropy.

At the same time as the number of people donating to charities has decreased, the number of people seeking help from charities has soared: one in five Canadians was using charitable services to meet essential needs.

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Learn More About Giving Trends and Canada’s Charitable Sector

The Giving Report 2024 highlights insights and giving trends that are challenging Canada’s charitable sector as it struggles to keep pace with increasing demand amidst a decline in charitable donors.

Leveraging the vast volume and breadth of online giving data at CanadaHelps and analysis of the latest tax filer data, we paint a detailed picture of concerning trends in how Canadians give.

To help Canadians understand the impact of their giving and the challenges faced by charities, we commissioned Common Good Strategies to conduct an online survey of the general public aged 18 and older to assess the current state of charitable giving in Canada with an additional focus on environmental giving. All respondents were sourced from Leger Opinion’s panel of Canadians, and Leger Opinion prepared all programming and the data file, while all analysis was conducted by Common Good Strategies. The online survey of 1,203 Canadians 18 years of age and older was conducted between November 24th, 2023, and December 5th, 2023.

Giving Report 2024



At the same time as the number of people donating to charities has decreased, the number of people seeking help from charities has soared:

One in five Canadians was using charitable services to meet essential needs.


More than half of charities are unable to keep pace with current levels of demand.

With service usage at an all-time high, charities are having to do a lot more with dwindling resources. 

Past Giving Reports