CanadaHelps announced the findings of a new Ipsos poll that highlights the impact of rising inflation on charitable giving. According to the Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of CanadaHelps, most Canadians (74%) are concerned about inflation and 17% plan to give less to charities in 2022, citing the effects of inflation on their finances. The number of Canadians that rely on charitable services in 2022 to meet their basic needs because of the pandemic or inflation could balloon from 11% today to one in four (26%).

Ipsos poll findings on charitable giving:

  • 25% of Canadians plan to give less to charities in 2022 compared to 2021, including more than one in ten (12%) who indicate that they will be donating less because they are specifically concerned about the effects of the pandemic on their finances.
  • By comparison, just 15% plan to give more to charities in 2022 than they did in 2021. Of those planning to give more, 6% note their decision is influenced by the impact of inflation.

Most Canadians are concerned about inflation

With inflation reaching its highest level in 30 years, reaching 5.1% in January 2022,* it is having a profound effect on Canadians. The vast majority (82%) of Canadians expect their financial situation to be negatively impacted in some way. A sizeable proportion (15%) of Canadians say they won’t be able to afford necessities such as groceries, medicine, and gas, and 29% would need to cut back on these essentials if the inflation rate continues to rise. A majority (52%) would need to reduce spending on non-essentials such as travel, entertainment, and eating out; while 33% would need to reduce the amount they save, and 15% would have to start using their savings to cover basic expenses. Around one in five (19%) would have to reduce debt repayments.

While online giving grew by 86% in 2020, overall giving in Canada is projected to have declined by -10% in 2020 according to the  2021 Giving Report published by CanadaHelps. In 2021, $465 million was raised online on CanadaHelps.org, a decrease of -2% from the year prior which indicates a softening of online growth. There were, however, several methods of giving on the rise using CanadaHelps in 2021, which include donations raised through monthly giving (increasing by 21%), while donations of securities – including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds – generated 91% more in dollars raised than the previous year.