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Part
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Donation Drivers
Some of the factors that drive Canadians to donate to charitable organizations include religious obligations, passion, tax credits, and the need to make their societies better.
Passion
- The main factor that drives Canadians to donate to environmental causes is passion.
- Over 80% of Canadians who donate to non-profit organizations do so because they personally believe in the cause or are passionate about it.
- Canadians who make environmental donations not only believe in the mission of the organization they donate to, they trust these organizations.
- A study found that over 60% of Canadians who make financial contributions to causes they are passionate about, have personal, life-changing experiences that sparked this passion.
Causes Close to Heart
- Roughly 80% of Canadian donors make financial donations to positively contribute to their communities.
- More than 95% of Canadians gave to charity "as they felt a sense of duty to give back to society and tackle inequality, using their own good fortune to help others."
- Over 60% of Canadian donors donate to environmental causes because they understand that they are personally affected by the cause the organization supports.
- Canadians recognize the everlasting impact human activity has on the environment. As a result, they donate to charities that are taking action to help save the planet.
- Some of the most popular environmental charities that Canadians donate to are Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and Canadian Wildlife Federation. These foundations advocate for and protect wildlife.
Religious Obligations
- Less than 30% of Canadians who donate to charity do so to fulfill religious beliefs or obligations.
- Charity or selfless giving is sometimes a key component of most religious belief systems.
- More than half of religious households in Canada make financial contributions to charity.
- Most people who donate to environmental causes in Canada are Christians. As described by Canada Helps, "charitable giving is central to Christian spirituality [because] Christians see everything they have, material and spiritual, as unmerited gifts from God."
Tax Credit
- About 23% of Canadian donors make financial donations for income tax credit purposes.
- In Canada, people who donate to registered charities can receive a tax credit of about 53% of their donation.
- Canadians are also able to save on capital gains when they donate securities directly. As a result, they are able to give more to their favorite charities. A significant financial contribution to charities can amount to big savings on their taxes.
- Recently, the Canadian government increased incentives and deduction limits for gifts to non-profits. From 2012 to 2018, first time donors were offered a super credit which allowed them to get an additional 25% tax credit in addition to the existing federal and provincial credits.