Julie Fiorini
General Manager, Charity and Donor Services, CanadaHelps
Rising climate concerns are driving Canadians toward charitable giving, resulting in a 13 per cent increase in donations to support systemic environmental solutions.
In June we marked the UN’s World Environment Day, but the need for action doesn’t stop there. The signals from the Earth are no longer subtle. Whether it’s wildfires, heatwaves, or rising temperatures, climate crisis events have come to define recent times.
There is some good news, however: charities and individuals are already driving meaningful climate action forward.
Funding Climate Action Through Charity
The latest data from CanadaHelps’ The Giving Report shows that donations to environmental charities grew by 13 per cent in 2025. However, the real story is in the growing participation, with a 19 per cent spike in the number of people giving. Since 2019, donations to environmental causes have nearly tripled. This is the signal we are sending back to the planet: a collective refusal to remain passive.
But even with this growth, environmental causes still receive only a small fraction of overall charitable giving. To truly move the needle, we need to look beyond the noise and start funding the systems that actually drive lasting change.
This is why many Canadians are turning to platforms like CanadaHelps to support the thousands of Canadian charities driving environmental action, along with cause funds that allow donors to support multiple organizations through a single gift. If you want to help steer the world in a better direction, you can fund the advocacy that shapes stronger climate policy through the Fight Climate Change with Policy Fund. And if you want to strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems in the face of rising heatwaves, the Land and Food Justice Fund helps protect both our soil and our communities.
Turning Investment Gains into Climate Action
For individuals holding publicly traded securities that have appreciated in value, there is a powerful opportunity to turn those gains into action for the planet while maximizing tax advantages. By donating eligible securities directly to a charity—rather than selling them first and donating the proceeds—the capital gains tax can be eliminated in most cases. The Giving Report shows that gifts of securities reached $83 million in 2025, accounting for 16 per cent of all donations.
The number of securities donors has grown by 200 per cent since 2020, while the total value of giving has increased by 361 per cent, helping drive one of the most significant shifts in online fundraising. Although the median securities donation is about $9,500, individual gifts range from under $1,000 to more than $2 million.
A Growing Signal of Solidarity
The data shows that this form of giving is not limited to the ultra-wealthy or the largest charities, but is becoming a viable giving stream for a growing number of organizations and their supporters.
Building a world where everyone can thrive will take collective action. You can signal that climate action is your priority through your choices, your activism, and your giving. Whether it’s a recurring gift to a local conservancy or a contribution to a cause fund through CanadaHelps, every action sends a message.
Find a charity supporting the environment on CanadaHelps.org and send your signal today.
