Contributions to organizations surged in 2024, marking one of the minimal growth spikes noted over the last two decades.
Private donations to associations saw a 3% surge in 2024, with the Mayotte Cyclone Chido relief efforts being a significant contributor. However, the ordinary fundraising campaigns only experienced a "modest increase" of 1.9%, as per the France Generosity Barometer.
Laurence Lepetit, France Generosity's general delegate, cautions that this is one of the smallest increases in the past two decades. Donations, excluding emergency cases, had been rising during the Covid-19 pandemic and managed to hold steady against the high inflation rates of 2022 and 2023.
Still, Lepetit notes that donations under €150 continue to decline – they now account for less than 40% of all donations, down from 69% in 2005. On the other hand, donations exceeding €10,000 have decreased for the second consecutive year.
The dip in donations, particularly in November and December, is troublesome. Despite inflation slowing and the first half of the year showing a 3.1% increase in collections, donations, without emergency appeals, dropped in the last two months of the year, traditionally productive months. These months saw a 3.1% and 0.3% drop compared to the same period in 2023.
Contrary to what one might assume, the Chido emergency appeal did not cannibalize other donations, as explained by Lepetit. Instead, media coverage of the emergency boosted other donations. If the Chido disaster had not occurred, December's collections would've been weaker.
A Turbulent Landscape
The drop in donations might be a result of the tense political, economic, and geopolitical climate, according to Lepetit. This sentiment is echoed by Marie-Eve Lhuillier, in charge of collection at Greenpeace France, who's reported a stable donation level in 2024 but a challenging start to 2025. Donors have been compelled to reduce their contributions due to financial constraints, while others have scaled back due to government-imposed austerity measures, impacting retirees.
Another factor at play, in Lhuillier's opinion, is the diminished emphasis on environmental issues in politics and media, resulting in a reduced focus on the cause and negative portrayals such as "punitive ecology" and "eco-terrorism." Greenpeace France laments the drop in new donors.
The decline in donations amidst a humanitarian crisis like the Mayotte Cyclone Chido underscores a complex and uncertain philanthropic landscape. A deeper examination of donation trends, particularly factoring in the broader context of the global economy and media coverage, may offer insights into this puzzling phenomenon.
In the challenging economic climate, individuals are reportedly adjusting their personal-finance budgets, resulting in a decrease in donations, as cited by Laurence Lepetit, the general delegate of France Generosity. This trend, coupled with the impact of government-imposed austerity measures on retirees and a perceived diminished emphasis on environmental issues, paints a complex picture of modern finance and its impact on philanthropy, a picture that is further distorted by the decline in donations during emergencies, such as the Mayotte Cyclone Chido relief efforts.
