Paying it Forward
Are Canadians generous? Depends who you ask.
In recent years we have seen some unfavourable trends in charitable giving within Canada. Giving is down among every age group with only one-fifth or 20% of Canadians donating to charities. Studies show that if you have not given in the past, it is unlikely you will begin unless you make it a priority (2015).
The average annual donation per Canadian has decreased from $365 to $343 from 2006-2015. More alarming is Canada’s donors are changing what they give. Canadians aged 55 and older collectively donated $6.4 billion to charity in 2015, almost double the $3.5 billion given by Canadians aged 25-54. This reality is also due to the more discretionary cash that older Canadians have to give. But that is not universally true. Giving habits are changing among a large millennial demographic.
As government funding dwindles, donors in the older age groups “age out”, we potentially lose charitable status in Canada. As churches and charities neglect to focus on millennial donors, there will be funding gaps in the near future among churches and faith mission organizations.
So what are donors giving to these days? In the 2018 Global Trends Giving Report (click here to read the report), the following was discovered:
May is Leave a Legacy month in Canada
Canadian Christians typically give more than the average Canadian. As stewards rather than owners, we give faithfully and generously. We are conduits, rather than hoarders of God’s blessing to others. We seek to give cheerfully as an investment to advance the Gospel cause. We can do this in our lifetime as well as beyond the grave through wise estate planning.
During the month of May, I’m encouraging our Fellowship family to think strategically about leveraging their good deeds well into the future by giving a legacy to our Fellowship Foundation.
Our Foundation began in 2015 and has grown to almost $6 million in direct gifts, legacies, and investments. See the pie chart to discover where generous donors have designated their legacy gifts to benefit Fellowship local churches, Regions, schools and national ministries.
Legacy Gifts and the different Fellowship Ministries
Please prayerfully consider a legacy in your will toward the Fellowship foundation. Consider contacting Gord Baptist to learn how you might do this.
A Word from Gord Baptist
Gord Baptist
“If you are considering this step and would like more information, feel free to contact me. We will assist in helping you fulfill your generosity by providing you with the means to distribute that which God has laid on your heart and direct your legacy to the ministries that you are most passionate about. If you do not have a will, we can provide the legal support to have one done for you quickly, easily, and with a legal cost that is affordable. Feel free to contact me and together, let’s complete your legacy to God’s Kingdom.”
Gord Baptist is Fellowship Advancement Director and can be reached HERE