Canada’s donor base will continue to shrink: report
Charitable giving in Canada peaked in 2023, according to new data released by CanadaHelps, the country’s largest platform for online donations.
More than five million Canadians donated $12.8 billion that year, the highest amount ever recorded and a $1.35 billion increase over 2022.
The number of donors also grew, for the first time since 2010, with 95,000 more people claiming a charitable donation on their income tax filings.
However, the Trends in Charitable Giving 2018–2024 report cautions that stagnant population growth means Canada’s donor base will shrink in the coming years, noting long-term trends point to fewer Canadians giving, even amid record totals.
Recent mail disruptions tied to labour disputes at Canada Post have also driven an increase in online donations over the last several months.
Average donations on CanadaHelps rose 10 per cent in 2024, and an additional 13 per cent in the first two months of 2025.
The organization warns against seeing this as a long-term trend, noting recent increases may be “heavily influenced” by one-off events.
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