Canada’s 161,000 charitable and nonprofit organizations receive only 13% of their earned income through gifts and donations, according to the National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations (NSNVO), recently released by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy (CCP).

The NSNVO also reveals that just over half of these organizations are registered charities, which enables their donors to claim tax credits for the donations they make.

The survey was released in support of National Philanthropy Day, to be held on November 15.

Promoted by organizations around the world, the day celebrates the daily contributions that individuals and organizations make to countless charities, nonprofit organizations, and community causes.

“Our research tells us that Canadians are very generous,” says Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz, president and CEO of the CCP. “But we also know that there is a strong need for the services that charitable and nonprofit organizations provide, making Canadians’ donations of money and time all the more valuable.”

The CC{ regularly partners with Statistics Canada, Social Development Canada, and a range of private foundations to produce some of Canada’s most groundbreaking research on giving, volunteering, and community action. Among its findings in recent years:

  • In 2003, Canada’s charitable and nonprofit organizations drew on more than $8 billion in individual donations
  • Canadians donated an average annual amount of $259 in 2000, averaging $70 per donation
  • Just 3% of the value of all donations in 2000, or $153 million was given in response to door-to-door canvassing
  • The total value of donations made through a place of worship in 2000 was 44%, or $2.2 billion
  • Canadians aged 35-44 are the most likely to make a charitable donation; 86% of people in this age group donated in 2000.



The NSNVO was conducted by a consortium of organizations consisting of the CCP, l’Alliance de recherche universités-communautés en économie sociale à l’Université du Québec à Montréal, the Canada West Foundation, the Canadian Council on Social Development, the Capacity Development Network at the University of Victoria, the Community Services Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Voluntary and Non-profit Sector Organization of Manitoba, Queen’s University School of Policy Studies, and Statistics Canada. Financial support was provided by the Government of Canada through the Voluntary Sector Initiative.