Charities find Christmas donations slipping

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This article was published 12/12/2018 (2728 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With Christmas less than two weeks away, Winnipeg charities are worried they won’t reach their fundraising goals, forcing some to realize they can no longer rely on Christmas spirit to bring in donations.

It’s an iconic festive scene: a Salvation Army Santa Claus ringing jingle bells as passers-by drop loose change into a tin. The 128-year-old Salvation Army Christmas Kettle is one of the most well-known fundraiser campaigns of the charity, bringing in $23.1 million across Canada last year.

This year in Winnipeg, the kettles are struggling. Winnipeg’s Salvation Army set a goal to raise $370,000 by Christmas Eve. As of Tuesday, the charity had only received $160,000, less than half of the needed donations.

This is in large part because the charity was barred from soliciting funds in Liquor Marts this season.

Maj. Rob Kerr, a Salvation Army spokesperson, said last year the kettles campaign in seven city Liqour Marts raised $35,000. This year, the charity was forced to opt for small table-top collection bins by the register, which have raised only $300 so far.

“We just need to remind people, we need your help,” said Kerr. “I’m hopeful right now, I’m hopeful that we’re going to reach our goal, I’m hopeful that people will continue to support us as they have.”

Kerr said the majority of donations usually come within the last two weeks before Christmas, though in past years the charity has already reached the halfway point in donations by this time. Winnipeg has between 25 to 30 kettles located at different shopping centres and stores around the city. Donations can also be made online.

The Salvation Army is not the only charity experiencing a lack of seasonal generosity. There is a growing trend of decreasing donations to charities across the country, according to a report by the Rideau Hall Foundation and Imagine Canada that profiles the behaviour of giving Canadians from the past 30 years.

The report found that the number of people donating has been on a downward spiral since the 1990s, dropping nearly a third, and those who are giving are becoming more critical of who they donate to and why. The report specified that the average amount of donations per person is increasing.

“Some nights I don’t sleep well worrying about these things,” said Kai Madsen, executive director of the Winnipeg Christmas Cheer Board. “Donations are down pretty much everywhere in varying degrees obviously, so we are looking at this and saying this is going to be a game changer for some organizations.”

Last year the Winnipeg Christmas Cheer Board’s donations had fallen eight percent, leaving the charity with a $46,000 deficit, the largest deficit it has ever had.

Madsen estimated this year’s donations are down nine percent, though he said he couldn’t be sure until after the holidays. Madsen added that even with the given donations, the charity still has to buy over half the needed supplies for Christmas hampers.

Madsen said the Cheer Board has been operating for 49 Christmases and is in no danger of shutting, but the decreasing funds are forcing the charity to re-evaluate how it gathers donations. In past years, Madsen said the Cheer Board has not had to spend money on promotion and advertisement, but that may have to change as more people opt to donate online.

“Necessity may be the motivation here to look after the bills,” Madsen said.

Both charities have put a call for public to donations.

danton.unger@freepress.mb.ca