The financial crisis has affected every aspect of society, including charity. A recent study by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) showed that since 2007, people have been engaging less and less in charity-related activities, like volunteering. In this way, CAF revealed in a report that from 2007 to 2011, acts of kindness like helping strangers fell by 4% aggregately speaking, while volunteering time has dropped a similar amount.
A sharp decline in giving-related activities was registered in 2010-2011, CAF said in its “World Giving Index” report. The number of people who donated money, helped a stranger or volunteered have fallen by about 100 million in each case.
The “World Giving Index” report involves surveying about 155,000 people from 146 countries. The questions that were included in the report were: “Have you done any of the following in the past month: Donated money to a charity? Volunteered your time to an organization? Helped a stranger, or someone you didn’t know who needed help?”
The report also revealed some other interesting points, like the fact that women donate more money than men, but men are more involved in volunteering and helping strangers in need. Also, it was discovered that young people are less engaged with donating money to charity.
CAF also made a list of recommendations that should be taken by governments, companies and individuals in order to promote a model of more effective giving. Some highlights from the list of recommendations include: ensuring that an assigned government representative is responsible for supporting effective giving, and working with private companies to ensure that charitable financial products and services are widely available.
Now, let’s take a closer look at top 10 countries from the World Giving Index. The list includes countries from six continents.
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No. 10 Denmark
Photo Credit: Official U.S. Navy Page
World Giving Index Score: 49%
Participation – Donating money: 70%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 23%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 54%
No. 9 Paraguay
Photo Credit: One Laptop per Child
World Giving Index Score: 50%
Participation – Donating money: 48%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 42%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 61%
No. 8 United Kingdom
Photo Credit: Keijo Knutas
World Giving Index Score: 51%
Participation – Donating money: 72%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 26%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 56%
No. 7 Indonesia
Photo Credit: Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Commander
World Giving Index Score: 52%
Participation – Donating money: 71%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 41%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 43%
No. 6 Netherlands
Photo Credit: Eversheds LLP
World Giving Index Score: 53%
Participation – Donating money: 73%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 34%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 51%
No. 5 United States
Photo Credit: Ken Bosma
World Giving Index Score: 57%
Participation – Donating money: 57%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 42%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 71%
No. 4 New Zealand
Photo Credit: New Zealand Defence Force
World Giving Index Score: 57%
Participation – Donating money: 66%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 38%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 68%
No. 3 Canada
Photo Credit: Rocco Rossi
World Giving Index Score: 58%
Participation – Donating money: 64%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 42%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 67%
No. 2 Ireland
Photo Credit: William Murphy
World Giving Index Score: 60%
Participation – Donating money: 79%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 34%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 66%
No. 1 Australia
Photo Credit: Mosman Council
World Giving Index Score: 60%
Participation – Donating money: 76%
Participation – Volunteering Time: 37%
Participation – Helping a stranger: 67%
