New Study Reveals Australians’ Giving Habits

A new study into the donating habits of Australians has found that the most common form of giving is buying an item as part of a theme week such as Red Nose Day.

The report, Giving in Australia Report 2012, revealed that 66% of respondents rated buying as part of a theme week as their preferred form of giving to charity, followed by 46% ‘sponsoring a friend or relative in an event’ and 38% choosing to donate online.

Only 5% of respondents said that they gave to charity through payroll deductions or workplace giving.

The report also found that just under half of respondents (47%) donated to charity several times a year, with the average donation amount being $317.

It also found that those in the 55-64 age bracket were the most likely to give, with the smallest contributions coming from those in the 18-24 age bracket.

The most popular reason for wanting to donate was 'to help others less fortunate.'

The research, carried out by Empirica Research in conjunction with Not for Profit, Building Better Lives, surveyed 800 Australians across the country in November.

The survey also found:

• Those in the 18-24 age bracket were least likely to buy a small item as part of a theme week.
• Online giving was skewed to the 25-35 age bracket, with direct debit donations made mostly by those aged over 65.
• Over half of respondents said that their main reason for giving to charity was ‘to help others less fortunate’.
• A significantly lower 14% stated it was because they wanted to ‘give back’, with 16% saying it made them ‘feel good.’

A Building Better Lives spokesperson said that the survey asked participants a number of questions about the frequency, motivation and forms of charitable giving.