Czechs give record amount to charity in 2022
Despite the economic crisis, Czechs have donated a record amount to charity this year. According to preliminary statistics of the Czech Donors Forum, the final sum collected in 2022 is expected to reach some CZK 15 billion. This year, the money was mostly raised to help war-stricken Ukraine.
In recent years, Czechs have shown themselves to be increasingly charitable and 2022 has only confirmed the trend. According to preliminary data, private donors, including firms and foundations, have already raised around nine billion crowns. The final sum, however, will be much higher, says head of the Donors Forum Klára Šplíchalová:
“So far, we can only estimate. In 2021, private donors collected just under CZK 12 billion. This year, we expect the sum to be around two to three billion higher.
“As far as fundraising is concerned, the first half of 2022 was indeed very successful. However, in the second half of the year, with the onset of the economic crisis, donations have slowed down.”
Unsurprisingly, most of the funds donated this year were in aid of war-stricken Ukraine. The amount of humanitarian aid alone has surpassed all past collections made in response to natural or man-made disasters. Tomáš Vyhnálek is the head of the fundraising department of the NGO People in Need:
“This year has been very special for us, marked by the war in Ukraine. We have raised CZK 2.35 billion from our donors, a record amount, and the vast majority of that money, over two billion, went to help war victims in Ukraine.”
Despite the current economic crisis and soaring energy prices, Mr. Vyhnálek says their platform of donors does not yet seem to be affected.
“Of course, some donors have stopped sending money, but more people have actually started. The other interesting thing is that inflation is causing a strange paradox where people are sending higher donations than they have in the past.”
While most non-profit organizations in Czechia have mainly collected funds for Ukraine, the biggest collection by the fundraising platform Donio was intended for the Bohemian Switzerland national park, ravaged by wildfire.
In addition to helping in emergency situations, Czechs have traditionally contributed to well-known charities, such as the Salvation Army or Konto bariéry, which supports people with disabilities.
The latest data of the Donors Forum also show that philanthropy has become an important part of people’s lives, with every second Czech contributing to charity at least once a year. People in Need’s Tomáš Vyhnálek confirms the trend:
“I think Czechs have shown in the past that when there is an emergency, like a war or floods, they can be really generous and they stick together.
“Maybe we have an unnecessarily negative perception of ourselves as a nation. Czechs have shown the highest charitability, at least in the context of the V4 countries. So I think we have a lot to be proud of.”
