There are a number of converging trends in Canada that are pointing toward a “new era” in how fundraising is done. Below are some of the key factors and what they mean for charities, donors and fundraisers:

Key Drivers
Digital transformation and technology adoption. Online giving platforms—such as CanadaHelps—have grown rapidly: for example, in 2020 their online-donations increased 116% over 2019. More charities are becoming “tech-savvy” and are seeing gains: a report by Blackbaud Institute found that organisations in Canada with above-average digital maturity were significantly more likely to report income growth from fundraising. Peer-to-peer fundraising, mobile giving, social campaigns are much more prevalent (and effective) than even a few years ago. Fundraisers need to invest in digital tools, data analytics, donor engagement via digital channels, and adapt to a world where the primary interaction may not be face-to-face.

Changing donor behaviours & generational shifts
Younger donors (Millennials, Gen Z) are showing different patterns: they are more comfortable online, expect mobile-friendly giving, communications via social media, and want transparency and impact. At the same time, the overall percentage of Canadian households donating has been declining. For instance, the share of households that donated dropped from about 36% in 2010 to 28% in 2022. Fundraisers must engage differently: focusing less on just “ask and receive” and more on building relationships, offering multiple channels, emphasising impact and aligning with younger donors’ values.

Shift in funding models and power dynamics
Policy changes are enabling registered charities in Canada to provide funds to non-charities (grassroots, Indigenous, mutual-aid groups) without the older “direction and control” constraints. There is also increasing uptake of concepts like “trust-based philanthropy” – funders offering flexible, multi-year funding instead of rigid short-term project funding.
The ecosystem of who receives and how funding is given is changing. Charities will need to adapt to becoming partners (rather than just recipients), and may need to consider new types of partners (grassroots, community-led).

Greater urgency and complexity of need, with constrained donor capacity
Charities in Canada face rising demand for services (e.g., poverty, mental health, housing) at the same time that many donors are financially squeezed (cost-of-living increases, inflation). The charitable giving environment is becoming more competitive and requires more strategic thinking to stand out and secure sustainable funds. Fundraisers must diversify revenue streams, invest in donor retention (not just acquisition), and provide more strategic value and storytelling to demonstrate impact.

What makes this a “new era” rather than just incremental change?
The confluence of policy changes + technology shifts + donor behaviour transformation means the rules of the game are being rewritten. Digital channels are becoming default, rather than optional. Funding is less top-down and more networked / community-driven (e.g., giving circles, peer-to-peer, grassroots). The role of the fundraiser is evolving from “ask for funds” to “build relationships”, “engage community”, “leverage data and technology”. Organisations that don’t adapt risk being left behind—those with better digital tools + more donor-centric models are already seeing growth.

What should fundraisers and charities in Canada be doing?

• Invest in digital infrastructure: enabling online giving, mobile-friendly donation flows, social media engagement, peer-to-peer campaigns.
• Focus on donor retention & experience: repeat donors provide stability; ensure stewardship, communication, data insights.
• Segment and engage younger donors: develop strategies for younger cohorts, emphasise transparency, social value, mobile/social channels.
• Adapt funding models: consider partnerships with non-charities or grassroots organisations; look to flexible and multi-year funding rather than one-off projects.
• Use data and measure impact: Fundraisers must show outcomes, be able to tell a story of impact; be comfortable using analytics and new tools.
• Align with values and community: Donors increasingly expect alignment with their values (equity, environment, social justice), and culture of giving is shifting.
• Think strategically about competition and collaboration: With pressures on giving, collaborating with other charities (or leveraging peer-to-peer networks) may amplify impact.

Here’s a summary of major trends and statistics from Canada’s fundraising and charitable-giving sector (2020-2025) that help illustrate why people talk about a “new era” in fundraising.

📉 Declining Donor Participation & Changing Donor Profile
According to the Fraser Institute, in the 2022 tax year only 17.1 % of Canadian tax-filers claimed charitable donations – the lowest proportion in at least 20 years. The share of household income donated has fallen: from around 0.61 % of income in 2002 to 0.50 % in 2022. In 2023, the survey by Statistics Canada (via the “Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating”) reported that only 54 % of Canadians said they donated, compared to about 68 % in 2018. Donations are increasingly concentrated among older, higher-income donors. For example, in 2022 Canadians with income $100k+ (about 13 % of filers) accounted for ~59.1 % of total donation value. Younger Canadians (under 25) had very low reported donation participation: only 4.8 % of tax-filers under age 25 claimed donations in 2022.

What this means for fundraisers: The pool of participating donors is shrinking (at least via tax-claims). The “typical” donor is getting older, with higher income. Engagement strategies must account for this shift.

💰 Amounts Given, Channels & Donation Behaviour
After a downturn in 2022 (donations fell ~3.1% to CA$11.4 billion) … in 2023 donations rebounded: ~CA$12.8 billion, a +11.8% increase year‐over‐year.
Median donation amounts are rising: In 2022 the median donation was $380 (up ~5.6%).
According to the CanadaHelps year-end report (2023), Monthly (subscription-style) giving rose 11% year over year to CA$39.5 million.
Donations of securities (stocks etc) increased 26%.
While total number of donors via that platform dropped ~9% year-over-year in that dataset.

According to CRA’s “Report on Charities Program 2024-25” registered charities reported ~CA$23 billion in tax-receipted gifts in 2023, up from ~CA$16 billion in 2014 (≈ +44%). But those gifts still only form ~6% of the total revenue for the charitable sector (which in 2023 was ~CA$393 billion). What this means for fundraisers: The volume of charitable giving is not necessarily collapsing—in fact there are bright spots (subscriptions, securities donations). But the “who” and “how” of giving is changing (fewer donors overall but more emphasis on larger gifts and alternative channels). Diversification and innovation in giving channels are increasingly important.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Volunteers, Engagement & Service-Demand Trends
Volunteer participation is dropping: The 2023 Survey data shows the formal volunteer rate (for charities/ non-profits) was 32% vs 41% in 2018. Volunteer hours also fell significantly (from ~1.7 billion hours in 2018 to ~1.2 billion in 2023 in the formal volunteering context).
Demand for charity services is rising: For example, the CanadaHelps report indicates that two in ten Canadians (≈ 20%) say they are relying on charitable organizations for essential services (food, shelter, health) — many for the first time.
What this means for fundraisers: It’s not just about raising money — the context of charitable work is changing: more people need services, fewer volunteer hours may be available, and donors may expect a different kind of relationship with charities (impact-focused, transparent, digitally engaged).

🔍 Emerging Giving Trends & Strategic Insights
Subscriptions / recurring donations are on the rise in Canada — giving that emphasizes sustainability. (E.g., CanadaHelps: +11% in monthly giving in 2023)
Strategic giving is emerging: Giving via securities (which can offer tax advantages) is up (+26% via CanadaHelps 2023) → donors are increasingly using more sophisticated giving vehicles.
Gap between intention & action: While many Canadians say they care about issues like climate/environment, donation data show that only a very small portion of giving goes to environmental charities (e.g., CanadaHelps found only ~1.5% of donations through its platform went to environmental / climate charities despite ~32% saying that cause was important).
Regional / demographic variation: Giving behaviour varies significantly by province, income bracket, and age. For example, in 2022 Manitoba had the highest rate of tax-filers donating (19.3%), Quebec much lower (17.4%) and aggregate % of income given varied widely by province.

What this means for fundraisers: Investing in recurring giving/“sustainer” programs is increasingly important. Offering donor-friendly vehicles (securities, planned giving, giving circles) matters.
Targeted segmentation (by income, age, region) becomes essential — one size no longer works.
Storytelling and linking donor values (e.g., environment, equity) to actual impact is more critical, especially with younger donors.
Charities must also adapt to rising service demands and tighter resource/volunteer constraints.

✅ Some High-Level Takeaways & Implications

• The overall number of donors is declining (especially among younger/less affluent).
• The amount given is not uniformly falling — there are gains in certain channels and donor segments — but the risk is higher for charities reliant on broad-based small-donor participation.
• Charities will likely shift more toward:
• Donor retention & deeper engagement (vs purely acquisition).
• Digital giving channels & data analytics. Diversified revenue streams (not just tax-receipted gifts).
• Evidence of impact, transparency, alignment with values.
• Targeted strategies (younger donors, non-traditional donors, different causes).
• With rising social need and fewer volunteers/donors, charities may face increasing pressure: to do more with less, to demonstrate effectiveness, and to engage donors in new ways.

Here’s a chart-style summary of key statistics for Canada’s charitable giving and volunteering covering the period roughly 2018-2023. The data come from Statistics Canada (SGVP survey) and related analyses.

Indicator 2018 ~2021 2022 2023

Volunteer Rate (formal + informal) ~79% of Canadians volunteered (2018) — — ~73% volunteered in 2023 (−8% vs 2018) Total Volunteer Hours (formal + informal) ~5.0 billion hours (2018)
— — ~4.1 billion hours (2023) (−18% vs 2018)

% of Tax-filers Claiming a Charitable Donation (Data point not given for 2018 in one source) ~17.7% in 2021 ; 17.1% in 2022 ~16.8% in 2023

Total Amount Donated (tax-filers) (2018 data: ~$14.0 billion in constant dollars) ~$11.8 billion in 2021 ~$11.4 billion in 2022 (−3.1% vs 2021) ~$12.8 billion in 2023 (up ~11.8% from 2022)

Median Donation (tax-filers) (Data for 2018 not listed in summary) — $380 in 2022 $390 in 2023

Key take-aways from the table

• Volunteer participation (both rate and hours) has declined meaningfully between 2018 and 2023.
• The proportion of Canadians (tax-filers) claiming charitable donations has continued to drop, reaching a new low in 2023 (~16.8%).
• The total dollar amount donated via tax-filers dipped in 2022 but recovered in 2023.
• The median donation amount for those who donate has crept up slightly (from ~$380 to ~$390 between 2022-23).
• The data emphasize that although fewer people are donating and volunteering, the donors who do give are giving a bit more (on median) and in total the dollar value is recovering.