Manitobans still give but charities feel squeeze

Some local charities are struggling to keep up amid the rising costs of living for donors.

“The challenges of the community that we serve are growing. You can see that every day you just need to open your eyes if you’re outside here in Winnipeg,” said Darren Nodrick, director of development at Siloam Mission.

The non-profit organization relies on donors but donations are down.

“The need for our services is increasing. The demand is increasing and what we’re able to do to meet that need and demand is dictated by what resources we have,” said Nodrick.

He said service cuts aren’t imminent for the organization but is hopeful the community will keep giving.

“It’s a tough time for a lot of folks out there,” he said. “But the community pulls through time and time again.”

Fraser Institute’s generosity index, which looks at charitable giving throughout the country, found 18.7 per cent of Manitobans who filed a tax return listed a donation in 2023. That was highest among the provinces.

While Manitoba continues to give, times are tough.

Statistics Canada said earlier this month property taxes in Manitoba rose nearly 20 per cent between November 2024 and last month. Manitoba’s inflation rate was 3.3 per cent, highest among the provinces.

The Salvation Army of Winnipeg was $93,000 shy of reaching its donation goal of $357,000 as of Thursday.

“It is a concern,” said Bernadette DeSantis, spokesperson for the Salvation Army. “This year has been an incredibly stressful year for both people in need of our services and people donating to our charity. There’s a lot of financial strain.”

She said those who are giving are donating less, and that impacts what the organization can do.

The kettle donations go towards Winnipeg food banks, clothing, homelessness prevention, school supplies and more.

“We are confident we will get to our goals. We just may not get there as quickly as we hope,” she said.

Jim Steep, executive director at Agape Table, said cash donations are down about 15 per cent this year.

“Every year it seems it (donations) gets more challenging,” said Steep, who’s been with the non-profit for 10 years.

Agape Table is on track to serve 185,000 meals this year, and it supports 15,000 with their food hampers.

A recent Harvest Manitoba report noted 62 per cent of families go hungry once a month or more because they can’t afford food.

“Charities are doing more work than ever before,” said Vince Barletta, CEO of Harvest Manitoba. “There’s more mouths to feed, and there’s more money to raise.”

As many as 60,000 people access food banks in Manitoba, the Harvest report said.

United Way Winnipeg hopes to raise $23 million and they still have “a ways to go” until their campaign wraps up at the end of March.

“We know people are feeling a pinch this year,” said Jaime Dzikowski, vice president of marketing and communications at United Way, noting donations are around the same this year.

She said they’ve had to be creative in their campaigns in workplaces, such as rewards and challenges. For example, Wawanesa Insurance leaders entered a dunk tank after the company met its United Way fundraising goal.

1JustCity has received the average amount of donations but noted more companies are giving.

“Overall we haven’t seen a dip in giving, which I was surprised by with the cost of groceries right now,” said Jennifer Biggs, acting executive director at 1JustCity.

“Every dollar counts when it comes to non-profits organizations, so every time a dollar comes in we’re able to provide more supports to people.”

Those supports require consistent staff and volunteers to make the space more welcoming, she said.

“When you consistently see similar faces, in serving the food, sitting with you to eat the food, greeting you at the door that makes people feel more welcome. If you open the door and there’s a smiling face, and you remember their name and they remember yours, it makes it a lot less foreign and uncomfortable for the person that’s coming in.”

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca