This text is part of the special section Philanthropy
When the time comes to give to a cause, Quebecers, regardless of their age or gender, have a common interest: health. This is at least what a report produced by the philanthropy consulting firm Épisode indicates in 2021.
“Health has always been popular, with 44% of donors supporting a cause in the sector,” notes the firm’s president, Laetitia Shaigetz. But the needs are many, and the organizations requiring funding are jostling at the gate. How is health philanthropy doing? Overview.
Touched closely
“We all have an emotional connection with a health cause, either because we ourselves have benefited from care, or because a loved one has been affected,” notes the president. Local networks also have an important role to play in promoting a charitable organization to a wide audience. Mme Shaigetz notes the importance of social media, especially in reaching younger audiences. “It allows us to put forward causes, it is a way of raising awareness. Someone who tells their story online will thus become one more ambassador for a cause.
Another strong trend: the generosity of donors increases with age. “Mature people” and “baby boomers”, to use the terms used in the report by the Épisode firm, willingly dip into their pockets to support health-related causes, no doubt because these are the same populations who will have the most frequent use of the services they thus help to finance.
But, even if a personal connection to a particular issue encourages generosity, some sectors manage to arouse sympathy among a wide audience. “The needs of healthy children affect 66% of the population,” says Laetitia Shaigetz. It is a cause that has great rallying power. Unsurprisingly, it was organizations serving this population that managed to stand out in 2020, according to the report from the firm Épisode. Among the five foundations that “have fared best,” Opération Enfant Soleil sits at the top, followed by Sainte-Justine Hospital. They are even among the three foundations that have been deemed the most credible in 2020.
“It’s a very large sector,” said the president. There are many competing organisms, all of which are necessary. » Front-line or second-line services, which respond to the direct needs of the majority of the population, will more easily strike a chord with donors. “But third-line care should not be neglected either,” says Laetitia Shaigetz. We also have a great need for research centers and organizations dedicated to behavior change. We need them as much as palliative care centres. » A stronger emotional connection will lead individuals to fund “frontline” organizations in the first place. Those in the third line will instead receive the attention of private foundations, which will make “transformational giving”.
Pandemic upheaval
One thing is clear: the COVID-19 pandemic will not have dampened the enthusiasm of health donors, quite the contrary. “21% of Quebecers donated for the first time in health care,” notes Laetitia Shaigetz. She considers that Premier François Legault’s daily press briefings have had a positive effect on the generosity of Quebecers. “We constantly heard about the importance of supporting our health network. It encouraged people to give. “However, it is difficult to establish whether these were one-off donations or a new underlying trend. This will be revealed in the next version of the firm’s report, scheduled for 2023.
However, the health crisis will have been a rude awakening for many organizations, according to the president. “We shouldn’t put all our eggs in one basket. Many have learned this the hard way. We can no longer just depend on events. She notes with satisfaction that the pandemic has led to a diversification of funding sources and fundraising strategies.
Despite all these advances, Quebecers remain the most wary of charitable activities compared to the rest of the country. “We relied a lot on the welfare state, summarizes Laetitia Shaigetz by way of explanation. If an individual is asked who is responsible for philanthropy, he or she will name the state or corporations first. »
She agrees that, despite the best efforts of philanthropists, there are still areas where their influence fails to reach. She cites as an example the shortage of manpower in the health sector. “Philanthropy will never be able to intervene at this level. »
There is still a lot of work to be done to develop the philanthropic world in Quebec. A note of hope: donors from immigrant populations are among the most generous in Quebec. Will these newcomers manage to influence the rest of society? “The sector is undergoing a transformation, particularly in Quebec,” says Laetitia Shaigetz, particularly under the influence of broader social changes. What will the future of health philanthropy look like? One thing is certain: our interest in the sector is far from running out of steam.
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, pertaining to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.