The data tells a striking story. According to Statistics Canada, the proportion of Canadians aged 15 and older who made a donation decreased from 68% in 2018 to 54% in 2023 – a significant decline that coincided with the rise in cost of living.
At the same time, CanadaHelps found that online donations through their platform nearly doubled between 2019 and 2023, and between the end of 2018 and 2024 PayPal Giving Fund Canada raised over $200M for Canadian charities exclusively through digital platforms.
Generosity is shifting, but not disappearing – the charities best positioned to capture it are the ones paying attention to where, how, and why younger donors give.
The Funnel Isn’t Broken, It’s Moved Online
Today’s donors – and especially younger donors – expect ease, immediacy, and trust. They want to give in the moment: through a social post, at checkout, or from their phone. Organizations that have not invested in digital fundraising presence run the risk of becoming invisible at exactly the moment a potential donor is most motivated to act.
Digital readiness is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a prerequisite for staying in today’s charitable giving conversation.
Young Donors Are Already at the Table – and They’re More Generous Than You Think
Generation Z and Millennials are not disengaged. They are, by many measures, remarkably committed. Research from our most recent “Future of Giving” report, Looking Beyond the Selfie found that for both Gen Z and Millennial donors, financial giving surpasses all other acts of generosity – and over 93% of respondents planned to make a financial donation in the following year. What motivates them? The happiness that comes from helping others, and the belief that they can make the world a better place. These are not transactional motivations. They are deeply values-driven motivators that align directly with the mission-centred work charities do every day.
But these generations give differently. Gen Z, in particular, strongly prefers mobile – 64% of respondents favour their phone over a laptop when donating. According to the data, younger generations’ preferred platforms for acting on generosity are Instagram, Facebook, and GoFundMe. They value ease of access, no fees, and the ability to share and engage socially around causes they care about. They want to feel genuinely connected to the organizations they support, and they expect transparency – real stories of impact, not just receipts and annual reports.
Young donors are generous and values-aligned. It’s important that your organization shows up in the channels where they are already active – social media, mobile apps, and peer-to-peer platforms.
Today’s $20 Donor is Tomorrow’s Major Gift and Board Member
Charity leaders need to shift the thinking around digital engagement, and focus on the potential lifetime value of a young donor who feels connected to your mission.
A 24-year-old who discovers your organization through an Instagram post (telling a story of impact), makes a $20 gift, and feels part of something larger is not just a small donor – they are a future volunteer, board member, campaign lead, and potentially a future major donor.
Our Future of Giving research found that over 51% of Gen Z respondents are open to serving on a charity board – significantly higher than older Millennials – and 34% said they would consider starting their own nonprofit. They are the next generation of sector leaders, and the relationships you build with them now will determine the health of your donor pipeline – and your governance – for decades to come. With young donors, donor cultivation and leadership pipeline development are the same conversation.
What This Means for Charity Leaders
So where does this leave organizations navigating a shrinking traditional donor base and an evolving digital landscape? A few principles are critical to consider:
- Be discoverable where giving is happening. Social media and online platforms are primary fundraising and engagement channels for younger generations, not supplementary ones. Investment in digital presence, storytelling, and community management is investment in the top of your funnel.
- Remove friction from the giving experience. Young donors expect mobile-friendly platforms, transparency on fees, and multiple ways to engage – from peer-to-peer fundraising to volunteering to civic action. The more pathways you offer, the more likely you are to capture and hold their attention.
- Stay connected through economic constraints. When donors can’t afford to give financially, they don’t disappear – they look for other ways to contribute. Volunteering, board engagement, and social advocacy are all doors into building long-term relationships. Organizations that maintain connection benefit when financial capacity returns.
- Lead with impact, not just need. This younger generation of donors don’t want to wait for an annual report; impact stories inspire their giving. Sharing transparent, specific stories of change – through social media, email, and your digital presence – is one of the most effective trust-building tools available.
Resources to Help Make a Transition to Community-Led Fundraising
Charities don’t have to navigate this shift to a digital, community-led fundraising strategy alone. PayPal Giving Fund Canada offers an easy, practical starting point, integrating giving directly into the platforms younger donors already use and where giving is already happening (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, GoFundMe, Twitch, and others), while handling tax receipting and providing security for donations at no cost to charities or donors. The Fundraising Guide for charities offers practical, platform-by-platform guidance on how to get started.
Once enrolled, charities have access to shared donor data and reporting through a centralized dashboard – and that data can inform both current and future strategy. Organizations often discover they are already receiving donations organically from platforms they haven’t actively engaged with, or from new donors who arrived through a peer-to-peer fundraiser they didn’t organize themselves. This is community-led fundraising in action: supporters championing your cause within their own networks, often reaching donors your organization would never have found on its own. Knowing where donors are already showing up is a practical starting point for more intentional outreach, identifying new audiences, and building the longer-term relationships that grow over time.
Opportunity in the Shift
The data suggests that younger Canadians are generous, motivated by values, and eager to stay connected to causes they care about, even when financial constraints limit what they can give. Meeting them where they are is not just a digital strategy, it is a long-term relationship investment. The organizations that show up for younger donors today – offering ease, transparency, and genuine connection – are the ones who will have the most resilient donor communities a decade from now.
The relationship you build with a $20 donor today may be the most important investment your organization makes this year.
About the Author
Wen-Chih O’Connell is Executive Director and President of PayPal Giving Fund Canada, a CRA-registered charity whose mission is to reimagine everyday giving to help charities. Her work centers on bridging the gap between the corporate and charitable worlds, with a focus on leveraging technology partnerships to grow digital access to more funds and donors for Canadian charities. A proud new-ish Canadian citizen, she is committed to building a more generous, connected, and digitally accessible charitable sector for all.