As 2020 continued to unfold, the Canadian social good community found itself navigating a rapidly evolving and unprecedented landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic forced organizations across Canada to grapple with seismic shifts to their operations, from canceling major fundraising events to working remotely and altering service delivery in ways they never have before.

According to the Blackbaud Institute 2020 Charitable Giving Report, “year-over-year changes showed overall charitable giving in Canada increased 6.4% over the last 12 months. Additionally, online fundraising in Canada experienced a 23.7% increase in the past 12 months ending in June 2021 compared to the previous 12 months ending June 2020.” This amplifies the figures and giving trends we are reporting from our Canadian Luminate Online customers.

Although Canadians continue to give to a diverse range of causes, online donations supporting social services and health charities grew significantly in response to COVID-19. One of the largest sectors of growth was seen within food banks. Canadians came together in record numbers to help food banks across Canada continue to be there for Canadians during the first year of the pandemic and continue to do so today.