[News] New Results from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating

Read the full report from Statistics Canada's site (released June 23, 2025)

The Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating includes indicators that measure participation in volunteer activities and the experiences of volunteers and donors. The 2023 survey data, released June 23, 2025, show how these indicators changed over this recent, tumultuous period from 2018 to 2023. In particular, this period was marked by a significant decline in volunteering and in the number of donors.

Key findings include:

• Continuing previous trends, the number of Canadians donating has declined by about 3 million since 2018. Since their peak in 2013, donor numbers have declined by nearly 6.3 million. Over the past decade, the percentage of Canadians donating has dropped from 82% to 54%.
• Total donations declined modestly to $13.4 billion in 2023 from $14.0 billion in 2018. This builds on a much more significant decline from $16.4 billion in 2013 (all figures inflation-adjusted).
• The percentage of Canadians volunteering for nonprofits and charities dropped significantly, from 41% in 2018 to 32% in 2023. This is an additional decline from 44% in 2013.
• Total volunteer hours dropped to 1.2 billion, down by over a quarter from 1.7 billion in 2018 and nearly four fifths from 2.0 billion in 2013. In total, this is equivalent to a decline of roughly 451,000 full-time jobs.

These findings confirm what many in the nonprofit sector have been feeling for some time: we are at a critical juncture. With fewer donors, fewer volunteers and increasing community needs, organizations are being pushed to do more with less. Tackling these challenges requires more than good intentions—it calls for meaningful public investment, policy innovation, and a renewed commitment to generosity. Canada has a longstanding culture of care and community spirit. To keep that tradition strong, we need governments, communities, the private sector and individuals to work together to strengthen the systems and foundations that support our charitable and nonprofit sector.