New study shows taxable donations hit a 20-year low in Canada
A new study from the Fraser Institute shows the amount of money Canadians are donating through taxable donations has hit a 20-year low.
According to the study, Canadians are behind Americans when it comes to making documented donations.
“The holiday season is a time to reflect on giving and with Canadians being less generous every year, charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need,” said Jake Fuss, senior policy analyst with the Fraser Institute and co-author of Generosity in Canada and the United States.
The study shows that less than one-in-five Canadians who filed taxes (19.9 per cent) claimed charitable donations during 2017 which is the most recent data. This is compared to 24.9 per cent of Americans.
The total amount of taxable donations from Canadians totalled to just 0.54 per cent of income, which is the lowest amount since approximately 2000.
However, American tax-filers donated nearly three times as much as Canadians, with 1.52 per cent of their income going towards charities in 2017.
More interesting findings from the study show the lowest average claim in the states coming from Rhode Island was still higher than any claim in any province in Canada.
Out of all American states and Canadian provinces and territories, Utah is the most generous. For Canada alone, Manitoba is the most generous province.
“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,” said Fuss.
