Canadian charities report a dramatic drop in direct mail income last year, as online and regular giving gather strength.

A benchmarking study of 14 large Canadian charities by Pareto Fundraising found that last year income from direct mail fell by 15 per cent, while the number of new cash donors dropped by 22 per cent. The falls in direct mail helped to produce an overall decline in the value of individual giving to the 14 charities to C$158m, a 10 per cent decline on 2008 levels.  

But while direct mail still accounts for 20 per cent of total income to the sample charities, online is becoming increasingly lucrative, rising in value by 17 per cent last year but still contributing just 2 per cent of total voluntary income.

Monthly giving has also increased, despite last year’s gloomy economy, to $84m, up 9 per cent on 2008.