Are You Giving Enough?

Rare is the day when we do not receive some form of solicitation for charity. It comes by phone, mail, email and occasionally by a knock on the front door, often during dinnertime.  Asking people to give money is a difficult and often thankless job, to which I freely admit an almost complete lack of skill. I salute everyone who does this so successfully, because the demand always outstrips the supply.

Here’s some data that may surprise you:

• For the 2022 tax year, 83 percent of Canadians listed their charitable donations as zero. This means only five million people (17% of taxpayers) gave charitable donations in 2022.

• To be fair, many more Canadians may have given to charity in amounts too small to be reported on tax returns.

• Ontario (27%) and Quebec (28%) are above the national average, positions they have occupied for more than 10 years.

Charity is a personal issue, with plenty of excuses available to rationalize why most people don’t give. Also, while I commend those who donate to charitable organizations — and they’re all worthy causes — I believe everyone who is able, by fortune or circumstance, has a duty to help out our fellow citizens who are in need.

How can you fulfil your obligation? Consider these three options:

• Give money – to whatever cause you feel

• Give time – to help someone in need

• Give material – to provide food, clothing and goods

The key is to give something, and not to let a year go by without taking some charitable actions. Cocooned in our privileged environment, we sometimes forget that a great many people do not enjoy such a comfortable lifestyle and struggle each day to put food on the table.

Let’s keep the reality of charitable giving in perspective. Tax returns show the median annual donation lies in the range of $300 to $360 — which at the high end is about one dollar a day. Less than the price of one cup of coffee.

For those of you who prefer to give time, find a situation where you can offer your skills, experience and talent free of charge. It will enrich your life.

I do not measure anyone by the size of their charitable donation, and accept giving to charity as evidence of sensitivity to the plight of those less fortunate. What I do not accept is giving or doing nothing. How about putting a dollar a day into the charity piggy bank this year?