Belonging & Leadership
JUMP AHEAD
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Fewer are making charitable donations
Greater Kingston has always been very generous towards charities. In 2009, 26% of tax filers claimed a charitable donation. That’s better than both the provincial (24%)and national (23%) average. However, there has been a steady erosion of charitable donations over the last decade. Claims for charitable donations on tax returns in the Kingston CMA have dropped 11% since 2002. Ontario’s rate has similarly dropped 11.4% and the Canadian rate has fallen 8%. There are a number of reasons why people may give to charity and not claim a tax receipt. One is that their spouse may claim their donations on their tax return. Another is that they forget to claim their donations.
Source: Statistics Canada.
But those who give are giving more
The increase in the average amount of dollars donated may be making up for the drop in the number of people making donations. In 2009, the average amount of dollars donated that people claimed on their taxes was $300 in Greater Kingston. That’s about the same as the Ontario rate ($310) and greater than the Canadian rate ($250). Since 2002, the average amount that people give in the Kingston CMA has risen by 25%. In comparison, the Ontario and Canadian rate have risen by roughly 19%.
Source: Statistics Canada.
Volunteering has a new home
Every year, about half of all Canadians volunteer their time to help charities and not-for-profit organizations. The coordination and organization of these volunteers is a critical role, one that has been missing from Kingston since Volunteer & Information Kingston closed in March 2010. Agencies that traditionally look for volunteers had no central clearinghouse and were forced to find volunteers on their own, with limited success. The absence of a coordinating body left many of volunteers confused and unsure of whom to call. In May 2011, the United Way serving Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington created a new Volunteer Services program to assist all not-for-profit organizations in developing and enhancing their volunteer capacity. The program will work to promote volunteer opportunities by helping organizations match their needs with suitable volunteers.
Source: United Way serving Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington.
Voter turnout was high for the federal election
Overall 63.9% of the electors in Greater Kingston voted in the last federal election. That was about the same as the Ontario and Canadian averages.
Source: Statistics Canada.
A strong sense of community and satisfaction
According to Statistics Canada, Greater Kingston has a strong sense of belonging. More than 73% of the population 12 years and older reported a strong or somewhat strong sense of community belonging in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit region. That’s higher than the Ontario (67.7%) and Canadian (65.4%) average. The rate has increased nearly seven percent since 2003.
Source: Statistics Canada.
Another way to look at the community is through the life satisfaction measurement from the Canadian Community Health Survey. The percentage of the population over the age of 12 who said they were satisfied and very satisfied with their lives was 92.2% in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit region. That’s about equal to the Ontario and Canadian rates.
Source: Statistics Canada.
