Eight in 10 Canadians will maintain or increase charitable giving this Christmas, says Ipsos Reid/World Vision poll

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (November 17, 2008) — The majority of Canadians plan to tighten their belts on gift shopping and entertainment this Christmas, but 82 per cent say they will give as much or more to charity, in part because they realize the poor need their help even more this year, according to a new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of World Vision.

Ninety-five per cent of those polled say they would describe the global food situation for people in developing countries as “critical.” Two in three (65 per cent) Canadians say that the economic downturn has made them “more likely to want to help those who are less fortunate.”

“Canadians are definitely feeling the pinch this year, but, if this poll is an indication, it won’t keep us from being the generous givers we’re known to be, especially at Christmas,” says Dave Toycen, president and CEO of World Vision Canada.

Released today, the poll is the first to survey Canadians about their projected 2008 Christmas charitable giving. “We’re encouraged by the results because the children and families we work with in poor countries are counting on Canadians’ generosity,” said Toycen. “We’re confident that Canadians in general, and our donors in particular, will come through. We’ve already seen a 34 per cent increase in Christmas giving compared to this time last year.”

The poll indicates that Canadians do intend to curb their holiday spending. However, charitable giving will be the last of five areas they will choose cut back. Dining out is first on the chopping block, with 74 per cent indicating that they are “likely” to trim this expense, followed by Christmas gifts and entertainment (72 per cent) and clothing purchases (70 per cent). By comparison, when it comes to charitable giving this Christmas, 56 per cent indicated they are likely to reduce the amount they will spend.

“This Christmas, shoppers will be looking for the best value for their gift-buying dollar,” said Toycen. “Donors are no different. They want to know that their charitable gift is well-spent and that it’s going to make definite difference. Canadians realize that, even in the midst of this economic crisis, most of us still have much more than so many.” According to the poll, says Toycen, three in four (76 per cent) Canadians agree that they would prefer to receive a “meaningful gift that would help someone else,” rather than a traditional gift like “a pair of socks or a sweater.”

Based on this research, Toycen says that even more shoppers may choose to buy from the World Vision Gift Catalogue again this year. Now in its eighth year, the catalogue offers creative gift alternatives, such as livestock, medicines and school supplies, which assist children and their families in developing countries. Last Christmas, 90,566 Canadians bought presents worth more than $18 million from the catalogue, benefiting people in more than 20 countries. This year, World Vision hopes to raise $20 million through the catalogue.

“We’re well on our way,” reports Toycen. “It’s only mid-November and Canadians have already purchased almost 33,000 gifts.” So far, chickens, goats and piglets are the top three ticket items from the catalogue’s selection of 83 gifts. The items on offer are decided upon by people in communities where World Vision conducts development programs. The gifts are distributed to the neediest families and they complement the organization’s ongoing work in the community, including agricultural development, education, health and sanitation.

“The catalogue has something for everyone,”says Renate Van Leeuwen, a mother from Georgetown, Ont. “My family organized a race to raise money for a well, knowing that it would provide children with clean water.”

In Malawi, Christopher Elasimo and his four children are one of the thousands of families on the receiving end of Canadians’ generosity. “We received a cow from a Canadian family we’ve never met. Now my children have fresh milk every day, which we could never afford to buy milk before. We are so thankful.”  

More poll findings:

• Eight in ten Canadians (82 per cent) think that “in this time of a global economic slowdown, people in developing countries need even more of our help to keep the basic necessities of life.”
• One in four (26 per cent) Canadians say that their understanding of the global food situation has made them more likely to donate to a charity or purchase a gift from a charity on behalf of someone else this Christmas that would help children and their families overseas.
• One quarter (24 per cent) of Canadians with a significant other say they cannot remember what they received as a gift from their sweetheart last Christmas.
• Three in ten (30 per cent) Canadians say there is something they “need” for Christmas this year, and just under one half (47 per cent) say there is something they “want.”  
  

These are the findings of two-part Ipsos Reid online poll conducted on behalf of World Vision. Part one of the poll of 1024 Canadians was conducted from July 11 to July 15 2008; Part two of the survey of 1062 Canadians was conducted from November 3 to November 7, 2008. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had the entire adult population of Canada been polled.

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit WorldVision.ca.

About Ipsos Reid:
Ipsos Reid is Canada’s market intelligence leader and the country’s leading provider of public opinion research. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, visit ipsos.ca.

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For more information, or to arrange an interview, contact:

Karen Flores
905-565-6200 ext. 3497
416-277-5563 (cell)
karen_flores@worldvision.ca

Jessica Parker
905-565-6200 ext. 2152
416-881-0732 (cell)
jessica_parker@worldvision.ca

For additional information about the World Vision Gift Catalogue and to access high-resolution photos, visit WorldVision.ca/newsroom.

For more information on the Ipsos Reid poll, contact:
Sean Simpson
Ipsos Reid, Public Affairs
416-572-4474

For full tabular results, please visit www.ipsos.ca.  News releases are available at: http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/