A Vancouver-based organization has collected data from the Canada Revenue Agency to find out where the most generous places in Canada are, and Lethbridge is near the top of those rankings.
According to the report, which was released on Tuesday, Lethbridge, Alta. sits in the top 10 in two categories.
“Lethbridge actually increased 0.4 per cent in charitable participation,” said director of research at Charitable Impact Ernesto Peña.
“Way to go, that’s fantastic.”
Charitable Impact’s first report was released in 2020, and detailed numbers from 2013-2017. The most recent report looks at numbers from 2015-2019.
When it comes to the top 10 most charitable places by number of donations per donor, Lethbridge ranks seventh behind Chilliwack, B.C., and ahead of Canmore, Alta.
“I’ve known for years that this is a very generous and giving community, which is why we’re so lucky to be here,” said executive director of the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta Charleen Davidson.
Lethbridge sits eighth in the country in terms of percentage of income donated to registered charities, at 1.15 per cent. The national average is 0.62 per cent, while the top place in Canada is Steinbach, Man., at 4.28 per cent.
While the report details pre-pandemic numbers, over the last couple of years, Davidson said her organization saw a boost in support.
Last year, the Community Foundation gave away more than $1 million in grant money.
“We really saw this in the early days of the pandemic, where individuals who had the ability to come forward and help, did, and in an (extremely) generous manner.”
Areas that Davidson sees receiving continuous support include food banks and shelters, but each donor is different.
“There’s such a vast array of (charities) that they can choose from… and it really comes down to individual preference,” she said.
Janelle Marietta, executive director with United Way Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, is hoping to see the generosity continue, despite the rising cost of living.
“Obviously we’re seeing a huge increase coming out of the last two (to) three years in terms of need in the community and people looking for supports around food security and housing securities and mental health, addictions — those types of supports,” Marietta said.
“So really, now more than ever, it’s important for us to give.”
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