Since the beginning of this year, the Center for Philanthropic Studies continued their research on giving in the Netherlands. Giving in the Netherlands 2024 will be the 14th edition, about giving in the year 2022: a year of crisis.
In the first months of 2022, we were still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the last edition (Giving in the Netherlands 2022), the researchers found that negative life events related to health increase giving behavior to charitable organizations active on the terrains of healthcare. In the next edition, the researchers examine whether giving behavior to causes further increased. Furthermore, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 triggered a refugee flow and a national fundraising campaign (Giro 555) to help the victims of the war in Ukraine. Giro 555 raised over 161 million euros. In giving in the Netherlands 2024, an important question for the research team is whether these donations for the victims of the war in Ukraine have influenced donations to other causes. Since the summer of 2022, energy prices and inflation increased sharply, while consumer and donor confidence fell. In the meantime, the one-off energy-bill compensation of €190 per household per month for the monthes November and December, gave many individuals reason to think about making extra donations to charities. Lastly, the climate crisis was felt by unprecedentedly high temperatures; and the nitrogen crisis increased the awareness of the Dutch population of the importance of a sustainable economy. Has this changed the giving behavior to causes related to the environment, nature, and animals?
The researchers are currently securing funding and starting the data collection for their panel survey among households, as well as the data collection on giving by the corporations, foundations, charitable lotteries and bequests.
Full publication of the results of Giving in the Netherlands 2024 is scheduled for June 2024 at the Philanthropy Day (Dag van de Filantropie).