A new study suggests Canadians are less charitable, but a local non-profit would say otherwise about Langley residents.
The amount Canadians donate to charity has hit a 20-year low, according to the Fraser Institute, a Canadian public policy research organization.
“The holiday season is a time to reflect on giving, and with Canadians being less generous every year, charities face greater challenges to secure resources to help those in need,” said Jake Fuss, senior policy analyst with the Fraser Institute.
But the Langley Hospice Society doesn’t believe this community follows national trends.
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“I would suggest we’re seeing an increased trend,” said Shannon Todd Booth, communications manager at the non-profit.
She believes relationships within the community plays a big part in attracting donations.
“People are really interested in finding out what they’re dollars are doing,” she said. “People are really wanting to know how their gift is going to make an impact, and in their community.”
Meanwhile, the study calculated donations to charity as a percentage of Canadians’ income claimed on their taxes.
It found less than one-in-five Canadian tax filers (19.9 per cent) claimed charitable donations on their tax return in 2017, the most recent year of data available, Fraser Institute said.
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The total amount donated by Canadians (0.54 per cent of their income) is the lowest amount since at least 2000, according to the study.
British Columbia ranked 52 out of 64 on the index of charitable giving for all American states and Canadian provinces and territories.
About 19.9 per cent of tax filers in British Columbia claimed charitable donations in 2017. The average dollar value of all charitable donations was $2,570.
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