How online giving continues to evolve
Online fundraising was once a single-lane road, but now it is a multi-lane highway. Some donors want the fast lane of one-time end-of-year or GivingTuesday gifts, while others want the steady cruise control of monthly giving. If we were to keep extending this analogy, gifts of securities are the express lane: a smaller but essential group of donors looking for a smart, efficient way to make a significant impact. For fundraisers in 2026, success won’t come from focusing on a single lane—it will come from designing a road that makes every type of giving possible.
In CanadaHelps’ latest edition of The Giving Report, our data highlighted how online giving continues to evolve. Donations through CanadaHelps reached $529 million in 2025, up $47 million (10%) from the previous year—the largest increase since the pandemic surge. Donor participation also rose slightly (+1%), marking the first increase since 2020.
Since then, the value of securities gifts—such as donated stocks or mutual funds—has increased substantially, monthly giving has increased by 82%, and corporate giving by 22%. While one-time gifts remain effective, a broader shift toward diverse giving methods is underway.
The power of the few: gifts of securities
Just 3,894 donors—less than 0.5% of all donors—contributed more than $83 million in securities gifts, accounting for 16% of total giving on CanadaHelps. The number of securities donors is up by 200% since 2020, while the value of giving has increased by 361%, helping drive one of the most significant shifts in online fundraising.
While the median securities donation on CanadaHelps in 2025 was about $9,500, individual gifts of securities ranged from less than $1,000 to more than $2 million. Securities donations through CanadaHelps included both gifts made to a single organization and gifts shared across multiple charities. The data suggests this type of giving is no longer reserved for ultra-wealthy donors or the largest charities—it is becoming an increasingly viable giving stream for charities of all sizes and their supporters.
Growth in online giving has spread across the country, reducing reliance on major cities
Online giving is no longer concentrated in Canada’s largest cities. Toronto and Montreal have grown roughly 20 percentage pointsmore slowly than the national average since 2019. Growth has shifted elsewhere: the Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia +58 points faster than the national average; Newfoundland and Labrador +49), Northern Ontario (+29), rural communities (+22), and northern regions such as the Yukon (+25) are all outpacing national trends.
Large cities still generate significant totals—Toronto alone accounted for more than $46 million in 2025—but growth is now coming from a wider range of regions and communities.
Giving is deepening, even as participation narrows
Donors are increasingly giving larger amounts, while smaller gifts have declined, even after inflation adjustment. In real terms, donors giving $100 or less fell by 17% between 2020 and 2025, while those giving $1,000–$9,999 rose by 40% and those giving $10,000 or more doubled. These patterns are not just seen among our wealthiest donor audiences.
Online giving in Canada is not just growing—it is shifting
The map of online giving in Canada is being redrawn. Whether it’s the steady growth of monthly giving or the high-impact surge in securities, the pathways to donor support are more diverse—and more geographically dispersed—than ever before.
Read the full report here, or catch up on CanadaHelps’ webinar reviewing the report with Environics Analytics for the deep-dive data and insights your team needs to navigate the year ahead.
Julie Fiorini is a strategic, purpose-driven leader passionate about connecting people to the brands and causes they support. As General Manager, Charity & Donor Services at CanadaHelps, she draws on her expertise in marketing, communications, and fundraising to inspire generosity and drive impact. With experience on both client and agency sides, Julie has advanced missions for charities including Make-A-Wish® Canada, SickKids, Heart & Stroke, Canadian Cancer Society, Kids Help Phone and Doctors Without Borders.
