We Aren’t as Generous As We Used to Be
Prince George, B.C. – While it may be the season to give and share, fewer B.C residents are donating to charity.
The latest research by the Fraser Institute, indicates that for the 2014 taxation year, British Columbians rank 7th among the provinces when it comes to the percentage of tax filers who donated to charity. 20.3% of British Columbians donated to charity that year, compared to 24.8 Manitobans.
And while one in five B.C. residents donated to charity in 2014, that’s down from the 23.5% who made donations in 2004, and a slip from the 21.1% who made donations in 2009.
B.C. wasn’t the only jurisdiction to see a decline in donating to charity, as the numbers have slipped in every province in the country over the same 10 year period.
The research also shows that while fewer B.C. residents donate to charity, they donate more than folks in most other provinces. The average annual charitable donation from a B.C. residents was just over $2 thousand dollars, second only to Albertans who donated, on average, just over $2,400 dollars.
Yet, ( with the exception of PEI) nation wide, the amounts being donated are also slipping. In 2004, the average percent of income donated to charity in Canada was 0.72, and in 2014 it had dropped to 0.56.
The Fraser Institute says that as the number of people and the amounts donated slip, the ability of charities to improve the quality of life in their communities and beyond is undoubtedly limited.
Comments
I’m sure that number is much higher, as lots of charitable donations don’t show up on tax filing. Charitable donations are not always monetary either
Could be that a lot of people that used to donate are now on the receiving end of it.
So the number of people donating, and the amounts they donate, are slipping. Hmmm… could it be because the quality of jobs available has been slipping as well? Not as many good paying full-time jobs out there anymore, you know… those “Union” paying ones. Instead there are lots of part-time, low paying jobs with no benefits. Perhaps this latest CIBC study can help explain further why we are not so charitable anymore:
ht tp://business.financialpost.com/news/economy/job-quality-in-canada-dives-to-record-low-and-theres-no-relief-in-sight-cibc-report-says
Yup, two decades of right wing government policy where corporations and business come first, through generous government tax breaks, and subsidies… while the workers come last. So no one should be surprised we are not as generous anymore, when most of us are just too busy trying to make ends meet with our part-time low paying jobs. Merry Christmas everyone!
You’re not going to get any further with “left leaning” or Liberal governments.
BH, you’ve yet to tell us exactly what it is that you do for a living!
Is your “most of us are just too busy trying to make ends meet with our part-time low paying jobs” comment meant to suggest that you are in one of those part-time low paying jobs?
I would think the Fraser “Institute” would be ecstatic about a development such as that. After all, aren’t they at the forefront of promoting the Con way of life as desirable? This news of theirs must be making them very happy.
Because we have ever rising taxes and user fees?
Think you nailed it, too many hands in my pockets I can’t feel my legs anymore
Because the various levels of government (federal, provincial and especially municipal) are bleeding us dry? Our over-bloated, publicly funded work force doesn’t pay for itself.
“Over-bloated publicly funded workforce bleeding us dry” yet BC has the smallest public sector in Canada, are you sure this is the reason British Columbians are less charitable axman?
ht tps://www.policyalternatives.ca/newsroom/news-releases/bc%E2%80%99s-public-sector-smallest-canada-public-services-short-staffed
“Over-bloated publicly funded workforce bleeding us dry”
Who are you quoting? It certainly isn’t me.
Does having the smallest public sector “work” force somehow make it acceptable?
These are registered charities for a tax slip, those who contribute to kettle campaign and the people who walk up and need to buy food do not get a receipt. I know personally this year I have plunked more in the jar or kettle for campaigns at malls but those have no receipt to claim on taxes.
BC donates less percentage wise but donates more in actual money for the tax receipt.
The tax rates vary by province and in some cases the return is greater. The Fraser Institute does not look at the return to the donor by province, federal return is the same but provincial portions vary. For example Ontario it is 16%, BC 14.7% on 200.00, etc.
Numbers sometimes don’t show the actual picture as in the case of the Insights West poll. You have to take in all factors and adjust the numbers accordingly to get an accurate picture of what you are looking at.
BH, if you want to retain even a tiny shred of credibility, the very last thing that you should be doing is using the ultra-left wing Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives as your source of information!
You bleeding heart lefties whine that the Fraser Institute is biased? Ha, I laugh in your face when you use the bunch of whiny crybabies at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives as a source of unbiased opinion!
Oops, now I’ve probably gone and hurt your feelings and those of everyone at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives as well!
Perhaps some quiet time in your special quiet places will help you all feel better! Don’t forget the Kleenex!
“Our over-bloated, publicly funded work force doesn’t pay for itself.”
Perhaps you want to rethink that by consider the following:
Because of the over-bloated, privately funded work force both supported by the public who purchase the products and services doesn’t pay for itself over time.
To keep that part of our economic engine competitive we have relied on more and more automation resulting in fewer people required to produce the products and services we rely on. Worse still, because of improvements in communications and transportation we have learned that we can take advantage of less expensive labour in foreign countries and do so by exporting jobs in both product as well as service production.
Perhaps we can learn how to clear snow, build roads and buildings, clean offices, and do project planning and administration, etc. from Mexico, India, China and other countries who we purchase products and services from for private industry. Almost anything is possible.
So you are saying the best part of the public sector is they buy stuff using our tax dollars? Why not give the tax dollars back and let the private sector buy the stuff.
You just nailed the problem with the public sector, they can’t innovate and think through problems but have to go look at how other countries do things – like in PG – we have been plowing snow here for 100 years and have to get a foreigner to come here and tell us how to do it right? Makes one shake their head and wonder what goes on down at City Hall. Do they play cards all day in the back room? A private company would have to either get efficient at what they do very quick or lose their contract but a city can play Flubber for 100 years?
“Why not give the tax dollars back and let the private sector buy the stuff.”
You obviously do not get it. They are providing services for the most part. The pavement, the concrete for sidewalks and roads are mostly made of local agregate and with Canadian tar and cement to bind the aggregate.
“So you are saying the best part of the public sector is they buy stuff using our tax dollars?”
When you write that, I have to write that you show me that you cannot read for understanding. I said no such thing!!!!
The equipment is the part that is mostly manufactured outside of this province as well as outside of Canada.
It is hard to transport buildings to PG from China. The components are made all over the place, most outside of PG and outside of BC. They are, however, assembled in PG. The contractors are often from outside of PG these days. That is something we should change whenever possible. The initial buildings at CNC, the hospital, City Hall, HSBC building, all schools, high rise apartment buildings, etc. were for the most part designed in PG, and built by PG contractors. That is no longer the case. The fault of the way we are doing business, both private as well as public.
We should do something about it. Why are we not? Do not blame the public sector, the private sector does exactly the same. It is the way we, as a society do it. If we can learn one positive lesson from Trump, it is that we have to look more critically at how we do things.
So what are you going to do about it?
Yess people are being nickel and dimed by the Gov’t and those unionized new jobs pay wayyyy less now and those that are good paying, have so much deductions that their take home is less. Kinda hard to feel generous even towards our local charities unfortunately. Then take Todd Stone… now he’s reverted to LISTENING to the people… REALLY??? When??? After all the scamming he pulls with ICBC to save them money for big bonuses while people suffering from accidents still waiting for a settlement and they won’t get much for ICBC lawyers doing everything they to give as lilttle as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if he follows Clark out the door after the next election
Frankly, as a low-income senior, I have a hard enough time paying my own way and assisting other family members financially. I prefer to give back to the community by volunteering. I also agree that earning a living wage to support a family is becoming harder to do. It would be interesting to know a little bit more about all the people who receive Christmas hampers and are down on their luck. What is their story, and what can we as a society do about it?
Fraser institute is just full of crap just looking at donations from tax filing. People in BC give and give in many ways and unlike the institutes wealthy client we don’t always contribute for the tax benefit.
I’m pretty sure the tax advantage of charitable donations used to be more significant than it is now.
People have less and less to give, and are definitely less naive than years ago. The gov’t builds the poor very nice places to live, free room and board with no incentive to leave. Now I’m not talking about the mentally ill lined up outside the soup kitchen, those people have it rough.
We have 3 very nice buildings in town that accomodate the ‘poor’. People are just fed up with increased taxes, increased gov’t spending and then being asked to give more.
” The gov’t builds the poor very nice places to live, free room and board with no incentive to leave.”
Please give us an example where this is happening besides in hostels, which makes them leave for the day and come back for meals. Subsidized housing yet, but free rooms and food to boot, and they get it for an unlimited amount of time? Show me the facts.
There are to many charities doing the same thing… all good work but huge waste of donations to pay for all the administration etc… a smaller percent of donations actually make it to the needy each year. I give to the Sally Ann. I refuse to donate at the grocery stores etc, they don’t need the huge tax deduction from my money… sally Anne has largest percentage being used for the needy.. the head of united way makes $375,000 a yr …..
LOL… so the argument in a nutshell is, blame the poor and the services we provide to them, for us not having enough money to be more charitable? Yet the money we donate to charity usually benefits the poor… have you guys actually thought your argument through?
We are poor because of the poor, sounds like Conservative logic to me.
Or – and I know this from my profession, the majority of donations are to religious organizations – not Salvation Army type – local churches and TV types. Probably 10% of the receipts I see are to secular type charities.
Church attendance is dropping, and I suspect so are the donations.
So it’s quite conceivable people are donating to worthwhile causes as much as they always have.
Although, I have to admit, I’ve become sick and tired of being hit up for a couple of bucks everywhere I go and given the stink-eye by the clerk if I say no.
And I’m sick and tired of fund raising for things that should be paid by government. The new children’s hospital should be a government expenditure – not funded by charity.
Frankly, I pay enough in taxes and if BH has their way I’ll be paying even more, so I’m not giving money to anything that should have been funded by taxes.
Couldn’t agree more! You’re an azz if you don’t support Spirit of the North but who should be paying for that next MRI machine? If it comes from the limited charity in the community all we are doing is offloading the province. Do you they are doing good things with the money we saved them? Better to support a soccer team!
Ski, it does get frustrating, I agree. The only organization I have and will continue to give to is the Salvation Army, appears they are the only ones helping in communities across Canada, the rest I’ve yet to see any help anyone locally. And the top dog of this organization doesn’t take a huge salary either. Have seen very little of other religions helping anyone but themselves.
There are a number of reasons why charitable donations would be down.
1. Would be that a large number of people who made donations have passed on.
2. Making donations is probably not a priority for those who are now earning less, than when people were making good money a number of years ago.
3. We are inundated by various charities all asking for money, and people get sick and tired of being harassed on a regular basis. There is always the thought that a large portion of the donations goes to operating costs, and little to those in need.
4. Hugely changing demographics in Canada. Are we to assume that the average Canadian to-day thinks and acts like the average Canadian in years gone by. I sincerely doubt it. Its much like the service clubs in Canada who have a hard time keeping their doors open because they can no longer attract members.
Time are changing,. My guess is that over time these charities will go the way of the Doo Doo bird.
Who can really afford to keep donating? I did again this year but not as much as I use to. With the city and the government taking just about ones paycheck in taxes and frivolities there’s just about nothing left for the working person. I am thinking next year I may very well be at the salvation army for a handout. Christmas and not only Christmas is getting poorer and poorer with every thing rising but the Paycheck!
It doesn’t even end when you’re dead ” As the holidays near, the B.C. government is ramping up its efforts to get more people to register to become potential organ donors. ” Im sick of it myself .
and they don’t come north to get the organs.
Okay, they did, three times in 10 years.
I am willing to wager that they were rare blood types though.
I talked to the organ donor people at the PGX this year and at the Kidney Walk, they admit, they don’t come north.
Well, pardner, I’m here to tell you what the Transplant team at the hospital told me. They ARE coming north, more times this year than ever. The wife got a new kidney this year, albeit not from the north, but the folks looking after her now do know what they’re talking about.
Some one in government is working hard at it and finding money to do it with. Our MLA told me last year they were working on it and all of a sudden they’ve got all the health care professionals talking to patients and their families throughout B.C. It is so easy to donate now. I’ve been an organ donor for years, and now donated my body to UBC Sciences. Yuh can’t take it with yuh when yuh go! LOL.
Times are tough. For many the most favorite charity has to be themselves.
What we are seeing is called “Donor fatique”, you can’t enter a Mall or Store without being ask to donate ! Everyone has Limits how much he can donate !
Do you mean besides the 50k migrants we all paid for ? I see we forget the little things.
Can’t afford to be generous any longer. The lib tards have seen to that.
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