Donors gave more during Giving Season this year

We saw a trend towards increased and more regular giving on Charitable Impact from last year. 

When donors have a space to shape their own generosity, it can feel more meaningful and become a part of their lives. We were humbled by the dedication to generosity displayed on our platform in 2020, a year when many Canadians chose to cut back on donations. 

This year, the trend only continued. We noticed upticks in donations on Giving Tuesday and during the typically busiest time for giving on Charitable Impact, from November 30th to December 15th. Since 2012, Giving Tuesday falls on November 30th each year as a day to follow Black Friday and Cyber Tuesday with a focus on generosity. During the week of Giving Tuesday this year, donors allocated 3.5 times more to charity than during the same time last year. 

Increased commitment to giving on our platform

In North America, donations to charity tend to spike around the end of the year. This active time for charities can be a lifeline source of revenue generation. During Giving Season this year (November 30th to December 15th), the amount of money both added to Impact Accounts and allocated to charity jumped significantly. We saw a very strong surge in the amount given by donors. The average gift was $327 in 2021, compared with $178 during the same time period in 2020. 

We also saw more people commit to their giving on our platform by setting up monthly deposits—there were 39% more new recurring deposits set up than in 2020. Plus, the average gift by monthly deposit jumped by 28%.

By adding a little to your Impact Account each month, you are more likely to give more over time (don’t take our word for it—here’s the research). You can take your time to give to charities you care about. Once you have found something that aligns with your giving goals, sending monthly donations can have major benefits for charities by helping them to better budget and plan for programming. 

Donors diversifying causes they support

Looking back on years preceding the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we noticed quite a drastic shift in terms of causes supported—from a focus on religion, education, youth, and the arts in the years from 2015 through 2019 sliding towards more concentration of giving to outreach and community.

On the week of Giving Tuesday this year, as compared with 2020, the diversity of causes fanned out more in line with previous patterns: from focusing on community and outreach as top choices last year (with 26.8% and 17.4% of donations going to each, respectively) to increased donations supporting outreach (18.5%), education (13.1%), community (11.7%) and youth (10.7%) this year. This indicates donors continued to support charities with needs exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, such as food banks, while also looking to a broader myriad of other areas. 

To help donors find charities that align with what they care about, we have diligently categorized causes. Charities related to the category of community focus on place-making and community-building activities; whereas outreach is concerned with providing support services to those in the community.

The right tools for consistent giving

Charitable Impact operates as a donor-advised fund (DAF), meaning donors add money to an Impact Account, receive an immediate tax receipt, and can give when they feel inspired to any registered Canadian charity. Donors can add money regularly and give over time, allowing them to more easily have charitable dollars at the ready when needed.

Research has found that the most consistent and regular donors tend to continue to give, even when challenges arise. Practicing giving can become a lifelong journey, as donors learn which experiences with generosity bring the most personal satisfaction.

No matter what causes you support or how much you give, Charitable Impact is here to support your giving. Reach out with questions about your giving by email ([email protected]), phone (1-877-531-0580), or chat (www.charitableimpact.com).