Number of Canadians relying on charities increasing due to rising cost of living, poll suggests
CBC
More Canadians are using services offered by charities to meet essential needs such as food, clothing and shelter, according to a new poll.
The Ipsos poll, which was commissioned by CanadaHelps, says 22 per cent of Canadians plan on making use of charitable services, an eight per cent increase over a similar poll from January.
CanadaHelps, which facilitates donations to 86,000 registered Canadian charities through its online platform, says the increase is due to continued economic uncertainty amid the rising cost of living.
"We know that Canadians across the country are feeling the impact of rising interest rates and the high cost of living, but it's staggering to see that two in ten Canadians will need support from charities to meet their basic needs," said Jane Ricciardelli, Acting CEO of CanadaHelps.
According to the Ipsos poll, the group most needing help is Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34, where one in three (35 per cent) are expected to access essential charitable services in the coming months.
Over a quarter of people aged 35 to 54 (26 per cent) and one in four parents (27 per cent) also plan on accessing essential services.
Although demand for charitable services is rising, some charities themselves are facing significant shortfalls in funding as a significant number of Canadians scale back on charitable giving.
The poll suggests 20 per cent of Canadians expect to reduce their charitable giving this year, while only 13 per cent of Canadians are planning to give more in 2022 than they did last year. Seventy-four per cent of Canadians who plan on giving less cite the same reason — the rising cost of living — as the key reason why they are scaling back, the survey found
"To see Canadians have to scale back their giving isn't surprising, but it is very concerning," said Nicki Lamont Cholfe, the director of donor marketing at CanadaHelps
This has a huge effect on charities like Fred Victor, which helps about 3,000 people who are experiencing homelessness find safe, stable housing every day.
Marie MacCormack, Fred Victor's vice president of philanthropy and communications, says 85 per cent of their funding comes from the government, but they have to raise funds to close the shortfall of about $5 million through donations.
She says this was easier during the first two years of the pandemic when charitable donations actually increased.
"At the core of everybody's heart is the understanding that we have to do something when disaster strikes," said MacCormack.
However, the number of donations has dropped off considerably this year, amid high inflation and the rising cost of living, the housing crisis and what MacCormack calls a "massive demand" for food programs and other services the charity provides.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.
Thoroughbred horse racing at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse is ending after more than a century, with the operator announcing Friday it will no longer run a racing season at the historic facility.
A memorial to remember lives lost to gender-based violence was held in Charlottetown Friday, ahead of the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which is marked annually on Dec. 6.
A Calgary dentist who defrauded five insurance companies over a decade should spend up to three years in prison, the prosecution argued Friday.
B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it has called off its search for a bear responsible for an attack on a group of school children in Bella Coola, B.C. on Nov. 20.
The union president called it a rally for solidarity as Iqaluit Housing Authority employees gathered Friday while negotiations are ongoing between the Nunavut Employees Union and the employer.
The federal government is stoking Quebec separatism by walking back its climate commitments — including in its recent deal with Alberta — Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says.
Four more Alberta MLAs are facing recall petitions organized by their constituents, including the first NDP representative to be caught in the province's ongoing wave of recall efforts.
Frank Gehry, the Canadian-born renegade architect behind some of the world's most recognizable buildings, has died at 96.
Hundreds of P.E.I. parents can't find child-care spaces, especially for infants. The provincial government says expanding those spots remains a top priority — and it recognizes the concern.
An Alberta judge says a referendum proposal on Alberta separating from Canada goes against Charter and and Treaty rights, in a decision given less than 24 hours after the provincial government introduced legislation that would have ended the court proceeding.