Giving Compass' Take:

• The Hamilton Spectator examines a recent report about charitable donations in Canada over a three-decade period, with a great proportion of dollars going to religion, health, social services and international causes.

• What can these trends tell us about U.S. philanthropy? Our neighbors to the north saw a large shift in international and online giving, which could show us a glimpse of what the future looks like.

• Read about Canada’s innovative financing for global development.

A landmark report, 30 Years of Giving in Canada, has examined the charitable donations and giving patterns of Canadians from 1985 to 2014.

What makes this report landmark is that it offers an in-depth look at the giving behavior of Canadians — who gives, how and why — and examines how these trends are reshaping the future of philanthropy in Canada.

The report reveals a philanthropic environment filled with demographic challenges and high-potential opportunities, including: giving patterns of "new" Canadians compared to "native-born" Canadians, the rising voice of women in philanthropy, and the need to bridge the widening (and increasingly concerning) generational gap in giving.

The study, conducted by Imagine Canada for the Rideau Hall Foundation, estimates that individual Canadians gave approximately $14.3 billion in receipted and unreceipted donations to registered charities in 2014. Claimed donations have increased 150 per cent in real terms since 1985 ...

Canadians support charities working in a wide variety of areas. However, more than 75 per cent of all donated dollars go to the "big four" causes: religion, health, social services and international. Giving to religious organizations is decreasing, but still accounts for the largest portion of donations. Large proportions of the population give to health and social services organizations, but the amounts given are low compared to religion. Giving to international causes has increased, both in terms of the amounts donated and the number of Canadians donating.

Read the full article about insights into Canadian philanthropy at Imagine Canada.