Key Finding
British Columbians are actively contributing to their communities in a range of ways.
In the past year
engaged in volunteering activities
Total respondents: 7,980 | 1. C8) In the past year, have you engaged in any volunteering activities, or any activities where you are giving your time to an organization, community, or cause?
made a financial contribution to support a cause
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. C1) Thinking of financial contributions, which of the following, if any, have you done in the past year? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of 16 choices, including “other” and “have not made a financial donation in the past year”.
Different generations are finding different ways of volunteering their time.
Short-term vs. long-term volunteering across the generations
Total volunteering: 6,757 | Q.C11) When volunteering, do you prefer one-time/short-term volunteering or ongoing commitments with consistent activities?
And British Columbians are finding a range of ways to financially support causes or charities they care about.
Ways British Columbians gave in the past year:
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. C1) Thinking of financial contributions, which of the following, if any, have you done in the past year? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of 16 choices, including “other” and “have not made a financial donation in the past year”.
Some generations compared to others prefer certain forms of charitable giving.
How different generations gave in the past year:
Made online donations
Matures (74+)
Donated to a crowdfunding campaign
Gen X (39-54)
Made social media site donations
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q.C1) Thinking of financial contributions, which of the following, if any, have you done in the past year? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of 16 choices, including “other” and “have not made a financial donation in the past year”.
The good news is that people are doing and giving more than they think.
When compared with how much people perceive they volunteer or donate, versus the actual instances in which they have in the last year, there was a notable difference.
Tax returns don’t paint the full picture of how, and how much, people are actually giving charitably.
Not only are they not reporting all of their donations, but they’re also making other types of financial contributions that are not captured by tax return filings.
Reported donations on taxes
Made some type of financial contribution to a cause
iGen
Millennials
Gen X
Baby Boomers
Matures
Total that have made a donation in the past year: 7,202 | Q. C3) Did you report any of your donations on your last tax return filing?
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. C1) Thinking of financial contributions, which of the following, if any, have you done in the past year? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of 16 choices, including “other” and “have not made a financial donation in the past year”.
When it comes to political donations, on average, British Columbians are giving significantly less than towards non-political causes.
made a financial donation to a political candidate, slate, or party in a recent election.
Political donations by generation
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. C6a) Thinking back to recent elections, did you make a financial donation to a political candidate, slate, or party?
While people seem to be more actively giving to provincial and federal politics, they’re much more likely to give their time rather than money to support local/municipal politics.
Gave money in support of local/municipal politics
Gave time in support of local/municipal politics
Overall
iGen
Millennials
Gen X
Baby Boomers
Matures
Total that made a financial donation to a political candidate, slate, or party in recent elections: 1,255 | Q. C6b) To what level of government did you make a financial contribution?
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. D4) Thinking specifically of your local/municipal government, which, if any, of the following public participation or engagement processes did you participate in the past year? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of six choices, including “other” and “did not do any of above”.
When it comes to supporting reconciliation, on average
have taken some form of action
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. D6) In the past year, have you taken any actions to support reconciliation? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of nine choices, including “other” and “I have not done any”.
Top actions
people have taken to support reconciliation in the past year:
Read, watched, or listened to information to gain an understanding of what reconciliation entails
Re-examined my own perceptions and attitudes and made a personal commitment to reconciliation
Attended an event to learn about lives/experiences of Indigenous peoples in my community
Spoken out against negative stereotypes and bias in reporting on Indigenous issues
Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action
Given money to an organization supporting reconciliation
Joined a reconciliation walk
Total respondents: 7,980 | D6) In the past year, have you taken any actions to support reconciliation? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of nine choices, including “other” and “I have not done any”.
When it comes to advocating for an issue
2/3
have participated in some form of advocacy activity
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. D1) In the past year, did you participate in any of the following activities to support a cause or issue? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of six choices, including “other” and “did not do any of the above”.
The top three ways people participated in an advocacy activity include:
Wore a button/ribbon/bracelet, pink shirt for anti-bullying, etc.
Boycotted a product or company
Attended a meeting or open house on a community issue
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. D1) In the past year, did you participate in any of the following activities to support a cause or issue? Respondents were required to select all that applied from a list of six choices, including “other” and “did not do any of the above”.
When you take into account the workplace and social media, the opportunities to participate in community broaden even more.
1/3
engaged in fundraising and/or volunteering through their workplace
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. C15) In the past year, did you participate in either of these activities through your workplace?
Mentorship is also an important way people are contributing to community through their field or workplace.
Mentorship across the generations
of Gen X mentor someone
of iGen and 29% of Millennials are mentored
of Millennials mentor someone and are mentored themselves
Total respondents: 7,980 | Q. C14) Do you mentor anyone or are you being mentored by anyone in your field or place of work?
British Columbians are active on social media, largely using it to keep up with family and friends. But they’re also using it to facilitate community participation.
How British Columbians are using social media to participate:
Organizing and/or finding in-person community events or meet-ups
Total social media users: 6,668 | Q. E6) In the past year, did you use social media to help organize and/or find in-person community events and meet-ups?
Attending a political or social cause, event, rally, or protest that was publicized on social media
Total social media users: 6,668 | Q. E8) Have you ever attended a political or social cause event, rally, or protest because you saw it publicized on a social media platform?
Raising awareness or advocating for an issue through posting or sharing content on social media
Total social media users: 6,668 | Q. E5) How often do you share or post content on social media to raise awareness or advocate for an issue you care strongly about?
Staying up-to-date on news and events
Following organizations or causes
Total social media users: 6,668 | Q. E3) What are the main reasons you use social media? Respondents were required to select up to three from a list of nine choices, including “other”.
