The Giving Report 2026: Online Giving Sees Strongest Growth Since Pandemic but Donor Base Narrows

Gifts of Securities and Wealthy Donors Driving Majority of Growth

TORONTO, May 12, 2026 /CNW/ - CanadaHelps today released the ninth edition of The Giving Report, revealing a shift in how Canadians are giving. While online donations grew significantly in 2025 with donations through CanadaHelps reaching $529 million, up 10% (or $47 million) from the previous year, the growth is being driven by a small group. 

Less than 0.5% of donors (roughly 3,894 individuals) drove over 16% of all giving with donations of securities. Donors making large cash gifts also increased significantly, with +40% more donors giving $1,000–$9,999, and +100% more donors giving $10,000 or more. In contrast, donations under $100 declined by 17%.

"While the growth in online donations is a milestone, it masks a concerning trend: our charitable ecosystem is becoming increasingly top-heavy," says Duke Chang, President and CEO of CanadaHelps. "As giving concentrates among a smaller group of wealthy donors, we risk losing the broad, community-wide participation that has historically sustained the work of charities and the Canadians who rely on them. If the generosity gap continues to widen and everyday donors disappear, many charities will soon find themselves without the diverse base of support they need to remain resilient and responsive to local needs."

Key Trends from The Giving Report 2026:

• Strategic Giving is On the Rise: The number of securities donors has grown 200% since 2020, while the total value of these gifts has surged 361%.
• Online Giving Isn't Just for Cities: A significant geographic shift in giving is underway. While online giving in major hubs like Toronto and Montreal grew notably slower than the national average, Atlantic Canada has emerged as the country's leader in online growth. Nova Scotia led the way, growing 58 percentage points faster than the national average since 2019 (+168% total), followed by Newfoundland and Labrador (+49% faster) and Prince Edward Island (+47%).
• Donors Prioritize Local: Canadians are increasingly looking to their own communities. Local and regional organizations are now the largest cause area on CanadaHelps.org, with donations nearly tripling since 2019. In 2025 alone, giving to local causes reached $121.8 million, an 11% increase over the previous year.
• Growth Areas in 2025: Several sectors saw double-digit growth in 2025, including
  • Environmental causes (+13%)
  • Animal causes (+13%)
  • Social Services (+12%), and
  • Arts and Culture (+12%).
• Charities Under Pressure: Despite the rise in online dollars, the sector is struggling to keep pace with demand. More than two-thirds of charities report an increased demand for services amid staffing shortages and financial uncertainty. While 88% of organizations are still meeting their mission goals, they are doing so under the weight of national affordability and housing challenges.

As the definitive resource for understanding the charitable sector in Canada, The Giving Report 2026 provides essential data for organizations and policymakers navigating this shift toward a more concentrated giving system.

About CanadaHelps: CanadaHelps sparks generosity and powers the positive change that Canadians want to see. As the country's largest online donation and fundraising platform, CanadaHelps offers a range of giving solutions in support of any Canadian charity or cause, including single and monthly gifts, gifts of securities, charity gift cards, fundraising pages, cause funds, and more. For charities, CanadaHelps is a trusted partner, offering affordable and right-sized tools to help them raise more to maximize impact. Since 2000, more than 5 million Canadians have donated $3.5 billion in support of thousands of causes through CanadaHelps. Connect with CanadaHelps on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.

About Environics Analytics (EA): Environics Analytics (EA) is the premier marketing, information and analytical services company in Canada, helping thousands of customers across every industry sector turn data and analytics into strategy, insights and results. Established in 2003, we specialize in developing and using best-in-class data, analytics expertise and purpose-built software (including our software-as-a-service platform, ENVISION) to address key challenges in areas such as consumer profiling and segmentation, multichannel media planning and execution, trade area analysis, merchandising and fundraising strategies, government services planning and site location decision-making. Environics Analytics is also the exclusive provider of LiveRamp technology and services in Canada, helping organizations with a variety of data collaboration and outcome measurement use cases. Environics Analytics is ISO 31700 Privacy-By-Design certified and is an affiliate of Bell Canada.

SOURCE CanadaHelps

For more information, please contact: Jordana Wolch, [email protected], 416-524-9440