Belonging and Leadership

Charitable Donors as a Proportion of Tax Filers

Significance

• Charitable giving is an essential part of civil society because it allows Canadians to support institutions and causes that they believe in, which ultimately enhance the well-being of Canada as a whole.

Core Indicator

• The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) personal income tax data indicates how many people reported a charitable donation amount on Line 340 of the personal tax income form.

• In 2010, 23.4 % of Canadian tax filers reported making charitable donations on their personal income tax form, a rate 2.3 percentage points lower than that in 1997 (see following chart).

Charitable Donors as a Proportion of Tax Filers in Canada, 1997-2010

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 111-0001 (Tax Data).

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 201022.0

23.0

24.0

25.0

26.0

27.0

Canada’s Major CMAs

• In 2010, Ottawa had the highest donor rate among Canada’s major CMAs at 29.6%, a rate notably higher than the national average (23.4%) (see

following chart).

• Ottawa was followed by Winnipeg (27.9%) and Victoria (27.2%).

• Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal – Canada’s three largest cities – were among the four major CMAs below the national average.

• St. John’s had the lowest donor rate of 21.2%.

Charitable Donors as a Proportion of Tax Filers in Major CMAs, 2010

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 111-0001 (Tax Data)

Ottawa

Win

nipe

g

Victor

ia

Québe

c

Londo

n

Kitche

ner

Kings

ton

Calgary

Hamilt

on

Edmon

ton

Halifax

Sudb

ury

Canad

a

Toron

to

Vanco

uver

Mon

tréal

St. J

ohn's

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

CMA Trends (1997 to 2010)

• The proportion of tax filers making charitable donations decreased in all major CMAs, excluding St. John’s where it increased only marginally (0.2%) (see following chart).

• The charitable donor rate decreased the most in Hamilton (down 5.1%), Kitchener (down 4.7%) and London (down 4.4%). In these three CMAs, the decrease is near or more than double the national average decrease.

Charitable Donors as a Proportion of Tax Filers in Major CMAs, 1997-2010

Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 111-0001 (Tax Data).

Hamilt

on

Kitche

ner

Londo

n

Sudb

ury

Win

nipe

g

Toron

to

Victor

ia

Canad

a

Ottawa

Calgary

Québe

c

Vanco

uver

Halifax

Mon

tréal

Edmon

ton

St. J

ohn's

-6.0

-5.0

-4.0

-3.0

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

1.0