New insights from JBWere reveal charitable donations by Australian households rose 10% in financial year 2023, surpassing the previous high recorded at the end of financial year 2019, Mirage News reports.
The third annual JBWere NAB Charitable Giving Index shows a marked recovery in giving by Australians, with household charitable donations increasing to levels not seen since before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
JBWere Head of Philanthropic Services and Family Advisory Shamal Dass said that while the recovery was pleasing, an estimated $3 billion worth of donations had been lost over the past three years.
"The COVID-19 era was extremely challenging for many charitable organisations," Mr Dass said.
"Not only did we see a significant drop in giving across the country, but recovery stalled within the general population as many Australians dealt with cost-of-living pressures. These same pressures are driving up demand for services and support that the for-purpose sector provides.
"In that relative context, it is pleasing to see giving by high-net-worth households and corporates continues to see decent growth."
According to the 2023 Index, more money was donated to health, culture and the arts (recovering from significant lows), while less went to animal protection and environmental causes - which saw a substantial spike during the 2019 bushfires.
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Charity Donations Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels for First Time (Mirage News)
