Canadians are not opening their wallets like they used to. The amount Canadians are donating to charities has hit a 10-year low, according to the Fraser Institute. Researchers also find Canadians lag far behind our neighbours south of the border.
“The holiday season is a time to reflect on giving, and with Canadians becoming less generous every year, charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need,” said Charles Lammam, director of fiscal studies at the Fraser Institute.
The study finds approximately one-in-five Canadian tax-filers claimed charitable donations on their 2015 tax return. That number is much lower than Americans, who compare at almost one-in-four Americans (or 24.5 per cent). The total amount donated by Canadians was just 0.56 per cent of income and it's the lowest amount in a decade, down from a 10-year peak of 0.78 in 2006.
The average dollar amount claimed in Canada was $1,699 compared to $6,058 in the U.S. (in local currencies). The lowest average claim of any state was $3,231 U.S. in Rhode Island. That value is still higher than the highest average claim of any province of $2,581 CAD and that was in Alberta.
“Canadians might be surprised to learn that Americans are far more generous when it comes to claimed donations to registered charities, and that’s been the case for many years,” Lammam said.
