Aussies donate $1.6m each day, data shows

The festive season may be known for generosity but its in June that Australians donate most to charities, new research from the Commonwealth Bank shows.

Which is not to say Aussies aren’t digging deep throughout the year, with the data – based on the donation habits of more than two million CBA customers – suggesting they donate an average of $1.6 million every day.

People typically give about $300 to charities annually, the bank’s figures suggest, and spread their generosity across seven donations.

A small group of people – about six per cent – donate more than $1000 each year.

The months leading up to the end of the financial year were when Australians gave most in 2017, with $66 million donated in June and $54 million in May.

December was the third most popular month for donating, with $50 million given.

But CBA’s General Manager of Corporate Responsibility Kylie Macfarlane says it was encouraging to find Aussies are giving to charities year-round and that people under 40 are “leading the charge”, making more than half of charitable donations.

“However, it’s those over 40 who are generally able to give larger amounts and therefore make up two thirds of total donations,” she said in a statement.

When it comes to location, the research shows NSW is the most generous state, with residents funnelling $199 million into charities in the past year.

Women were slightly more likely than men to donate in 2017, with 52 per cent of them doing so compared to 48 per cent of men.

Men gave more on average, though, about $100 compared to $85 by women.

CBA said it has commissioned the insights to mark the 100th anniversary of its employee giving program, through which its employees nationally will give a total $10 million to 1000 community organisations this summer.

AAP

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