The report also shows that 79% of people in Austria gave during the year – the highest level since these reports began in 2008.

Austrian fundraising first exceeded the billion mark in 2022, totalling €1.1bn, before dropping to €1.08bn in 2023. The slight decreases in 2023 and 2024 follow increases in every previous year, dating back to the first Spendenbericht in 2008 when the total was €360m.

The fundraising dip in 2024 was disproportionately felt by the biggest charities – the country’s 50 largest nonprofits registered a total drop of 4.2%, while medium-sized organisations increased their revenues by 7.7%.

Average donation up

The average single donation in 2024 was €142, an increase of €4 on the previous year.

The vast majority (81%) of all donations were below €200, while 2.6% were greater than €1,000.

Average donation amounts also differ significantly from region to region, ranging from €202 in the country’s three western states (Salzburg, Tirol and Vorarlberg) to €109 in Niederösterreich and Burgenland. In Vienna, it was only slightly higher at €119.

Ruth Williams, managing director of FVA, says:

“Despite comprehensive social challenges, the people who live in Austria have hardly compromised in supporting charitable concerns – a testimony of the great appreciation towards charitable work.”

The report says that some of the decline in donations was due to a reduction in support for Ukraine, as well as inflationary pressures on consumers. However, Austrians were mobilised to support relief efforts following floods in September 2024 which impacted Austria and neighbouring countries.

The report also notes that tax deduction changes are having a positive impact on the fundraising landscape. At the start of 2024, new laws meant that donation to a much broader range of organisations – including those working education, human rights and sport – became eligible for tax deductions.

FVA has projected that total fundraising in 2025 is likely to remain at the same level as in 2024.

Picture by Javid M on Pexels

This figure, an increase from €110m in 2023, meant that it accounted for 11% of the total €1.08bn given to charities during the year.

And that proportion could increase further, with FVA saying that 18% of Austrians over 40 could imagine making a legacy gift, a figure that has grown from 13% in 2018.

These figures were released by the Vergissmeinnicht (Forget-me-not) campaign, which was founded by FVA and for 13 years has been encouraging more people to consider remembering charities in their wills.

Some of the 100 organisations participating in the campaign came together for a joint photo in Vienna last month (see top of page), before distributing 2,000 packets of ‘legacy seeds’ to people across the country, to encourage an interest in legacy giving.

Markus Aichelburg, who leads Vergissmeinnicht, says that demographic changes may lead even more people to consider legacies in future. He comments:

“For years now, the population in Austria has been growing towards more people without descendants, and more single-person households. Accordingly, a growing number of people are asking themselves what should happen to their assets after they die.”

On top of that, the campaign notes that by 2050, the number of assets currently inherited in Austria each year will nearly double, to €41bn. In addition, there are around 900 heirless estates each year, in which no will has been made and there are no natural heirs – this meant €22m going to the state between 2017 and 2019.

At the end of 2023, Aichelburg told EFA that the number of over-60s in Austria with a will had grown from 33% to 43% since 2019, and that more than 90% of legacy givers did not have children.

Picture by Claudia Madlener/VGMN

As reported by Fundraising Europe in late 2022, the country’s previous Government created a €250,000 limit for donations eligible for tax deductions in any one year, which came into law on 1 January 2023. There had until then been no such ceiling.

A letter to the Government from 21 charities, co-ordinated by GDN, said that the change would “have harmful consequences for the work of charities”.

GDN then ran a ‘Red de giftenaftrek’ (‘Save the gift deduction’) campaigns, which it said received significant support.

On 15 November, GDN reported that a proposal by three members of the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of parliament), to increase that limit to €1.5m per household per year, had been accepted. It is yet to be formally put into law, but GDN nonetheless welcomed the decision as “very good news”.

However, GDN notes that the amendment would not impact the restrictions on tax deductions for corporate donations, which it says should be lifted to encourage further giving.

In addition, GDN and the interfaith group CIO have commissioned a committee of experts, chaired by former politician Alexander Rinnooy Kan, to provide advice on potential changes to the gift deduction system. Its final publication is expected later this year.

Picture by the Tweede Kamer, used under CC-BY-NC 4.0 license for non-commercial use

Major donation fundraising is becoming increasingly important to nonprofits both internationally and in Austria. To date, however, there has been neither a uniform definition of the amount over which an (above-average) donation is considered a major donation, nor empirical data on how widespread such donations are within the Austrian fundraising sector.

This is the task of Fundraising Verband Austria’s recent study. 83 organizations active in major donation fundraising were invited to participate in an online survey. 26 of them took part and disclosed detailed figures on their major donation structure. In addition, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 representatives of organizations from a wide range of nonprofit sectors with experience in this area.

The fundamental research interest behind this study was to clarify the widespread hypothesis that, compared to leading philanthropy nations, the Austrian donation system is disproportionately supported by lower- and middle-income groups, while major donations are underrepresented. Closely related to this were two more questions: where is major gift fundraising in Austria underdeveloped and capable of expansion in an international comparison, and what factors have contributed to the current situation?

The foundation landscape in Austria

While Austria had a flourishing foundation landscape at the beginning of the 20^th century with around 5,700 organisations, this was heavily impacted by the global economic crisis and the Nazi regime. Attempts to boost Austria’s charitable foundation sector post Second World War failed due to a welfare state mentality that dominated for decades and a lack of tax incentives. Only a nonprofit package introduced in 2015 brought significant improvements, followed by the establishment of foundations and, in recent years, a growing number of large donations. The Charities Reform Act, which came into force in 2024, has since established internationally comparable conditions for philanthropic engagement in Austria. Experts assume that this will further boost large donations from companies, wealthy private individuals and foundations in the future.

Research findings

Defining a major donation

But how do organizations define a major donation? We found that for 32% of the NPOs surveyed as part of this study, a large donation is between 500 and 5,000 euros. 27% answered the question with a value of exactly 5,000 euros. 18% stated a range between 5,000 and less than 50,000 euros, and 23% defined the threshold for a major donation as 50,000 euros or more.

Insights into major giving

In line with their own definition, 22 responding organizations declared their income from major donations in 2022 at EUR 46.4 million. This equates to an increase of 60% in just three years. The general donation income of the entire Austrian third sector grew by 36% in the same period (from 810 million euros to 1.1 billion euros). An analysis of the sources of donations revealed that 60% of major donations are made by companies, 38% by private individuals and only 2% by foundations.

This trend is even clearer for donations of 50,000 euros or more. Since 2020, 86% of the 22 organizations responding to this question have received at least one donation above this threshold. Of these, an even higher proportion (78%) came from companies, 16% from private individuals and 6% from foundations. In total, donations over 50,000 euros in the 26 NPOs led to a volume of 22.7 million euros in 2022 ­– an increase of 112% compared to 2020, when the total value was still 10.7 million euros.

Factors for success

The accompanying interviews with the representatives of 20 nonprofit organizations focused on the questions of what constitutes major donation fundraising and which factors play a role. In principle, the interviews confirmed that a personal relationship is of outstanding importance, with seamless interaction between major donor, fundraiser and organization identified as a key success criterion.

Based on this, key influencing factors could be identified at all levels: On the organizational and fundraising side, for example, a flawless image of the NPO, close involvement of management and board members, and a high degree of patience, consistency and flexibility on the part of fundraisers. At the donor level, it should be noted that they tend to want large, renowned organizations with strong brands as partners and are more likely to invest in “tangible” projects such as construction projects, specific equipment or endowed professorships.

The final conclusion is both sobering and encouraging:

• Austria’s major donations culture, as it currently exists, has room for improvement, but is by no means underdeveloped. A considerable number of private individuals and institutions make above-average donations and are thus committed to charitable causes.
• Especially in the areas of science & research and art & culture, there is a well-developed and established culture of large donations, strongly based on traditional patronage.
• There are still inhibiting factors for philanthropic engagement & major donations in Austria including, for example, the prevailing mentality of providing for the poor, public debates about envy surrounding the topic of wealth, but also the charitable foundation landscape, which is still less developed than in our neighbouring countries.
• Large donations make up a considerable proportion of total donations in Austria. Estimates are still difficult, however.
• The share of large donations in total donation income per organization ranges between 3% and 100%. The relevance of this form of fundraising therefore varies greatly for individual organizations.
• The data situation is also difficult due to many differences and grey areas in the definitions.
• Major donation fundraising has become more professional in Austria, but there is still room for improvement.
• Overall, there is a positive trend and therefore potential for the future. However, this is only reflected to a limited extent due to the level of willingness from organizations to invest in major donation fundraising.

For more information on this study, please email FVA at  fva@fundraising.at.

Main picture by Ibrahim Boran on Unsplash

Ruth Williams is the new head of FVA, taking over from Günther Lutschinger who had led the organisation since 2007. Lutschinger also spent six years on the board of EFA, including as president from 2013 to 2016.

Williams had spent the last five years as general secretary of nonprofits association Verband für gemeinnütziges Stiften, before which she worked in senior roles for Caritas Österreich.

On 1 January, new laws came into force in Austria which, as previously reported by Fundraising Europe, make it possible to get tax relief on donations to a wider range of organisations and simplify the process for smaller clubs to apply for tax deductible status, among other measures. This will allow more than 2m Austrians to claim deductions on their donations for the first time, FVA says.

Williams says:

“From the reduction of bureaucracy to procedural simplifications, especially for small associations, to the comprehensive tax deductibility of donations, 2024 will bring completely new framework conditions for domestic nonprofits.”

She adds that the FVA, which has 350 member organisations, will focus on providing resources to support the sector in meeting the opportunities this provides.

Williams also says that there is great potential to grow philanthropy in the country. Figures released at the end of last year by FVA shows that a total of €1.1bn was given to good causes in Austria in 2022, significantly outperforming the organisation’s expectation for the year

Andrea Johanides, president of the FVA, says of Williams’ appointment:

“With her immense wealth of experience in the broad field of fundraising and philanthropy, she is the ideal successor to Günther Lutschinger and will undoubtedly further develop the association to include new features, so that Austria’s nonprofits can do even more for our society, and grow a culture of giving.”

Total giving for 2021 was €870m. When that figure was published at the end of 2022, FVA predicted that inflation would hit fundraising in 2022, meaning that it projected a figure of €900m for 2022.

The record total for 2022 was driven by the country’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with up to €200m in aid given during the year.

The two organisations receiving the most donations were Caritas Österreich (€118.6m) and Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz (the Austrian Red Cross, €109m). The only other nonprofit receiving more than €50m was Nachbar in Not (Neighbour in Need).

The vast majority (84%) of the €1.1bn was given by individuals, of which most donations (85%) were less than €200. The Spendenbericht also says that large donations are less common than in other countries, with just 2% being larger than €1,000.

The report shows that 71% of the population donated during the year, up from 67% last year.

A further 11% of the sector’s income came from gifts in wills, making it the second consecutive year in which legacies totalled more than €100m. Companies and nonprofit foundations accounted for 8%.

FVA says that its neighbours Switzerland and Czech Republic were the only other countries in the world to see significant growth in donations during the year, at +22% and +19% respectively. However, the organisation expects Austrian giving to decrease by around 9% to a total of roughly €1bn in 2023, due in part to inflation.

It also noted that the increase in donations did not mean the sector’s health was universally rosy.

Günther Lutschinger, chief executive of the FVA, says:

“Not all nonprofit organisations in the country were able to enjoy more donations and expand their work. Many smaller ones have clearly felt the effects of inflation and have already had to cope with declines.”

The 2023 Spendenbericht was launched on Giving Tuesday (28 November). Lutschinger said that the pre-Christmas period is a crucial for fundraising in the country, as it accounts for around 30% of donations.

Picture by Marek Piwnicki on Pexels.

One of the major proposals is to make it possible to get tax relief on donations to education, sport, human rights and animal protection charities.

The Government predicts that donations to organisations in these areas will almost double as a result, and FVA says that it will impact more than one million donors. In the area of education specifically, a recent study cited by FVA suggests that the reforms could help up to 8,000 students to receive additional support.

Donations to certain nonprofits were made tax deductible in the country in 1994, and the list of eligible causes was significantly expanded in 2009. Since 2009, donations to the roughly 6,000 eligible organisations have nearly trebled, reaching €900m in 2022, according to FVA.

However, the organisation has previously warned that the trend of increasing donations was unlikely to continue into 2023, in part due to those inconsistencies on tax deduction eligibility.

The Government’s reform package also removes the cap on tax-deductible donations, which FVA says should make Austria more attractive to philanthropists globally. Other measures will make it easier and quicker for smaller clubs to apply for tax-deductible status.

Outside of tax, the reform improves legal protections for volunteers, and allows them to receive volunteer allowances of up to €1,000 per year.

The reforms were submitted by the Government for a legal review on 12 October 2023.

Günther Lutschinger, managing director of the FVA, says:

“After almost two years of exchanges and consultations with politicians and administration, there is great joy about a package of measures that creates truly first-class conditions for a strong culture of giving, from volunteering to the tax deductibility of donations to the foundation system – this is a milestone for the third sector in Austria.”

Picture by Snapwire via Pexels

FVA’s latest annual Donation Report (Spendenbericht) finds that donations for 2021 reached €870m, up from €810m in 2020. This figure has risen every year since 2017. The report, published in late 2022, also estimates that donations for that year will again rise, to €900m.

The majority (80%) of the 2021 donations were from private individuals, with charitable foundations accounting for another 10%, and the final 10% coming from businesses.

Causes relating to animals, children, the environment and social affairs all experienced significant increases in donations in 2021 – and children and animals were also the most popular causes overall. Fundraising by international development organisations dropped by 5% or €8.5m versus 2020, although more than €100m was donated to alleviate the suffering in Ukraine in the first two months of 2022.

The Spendenbericht shows that the two organisations receiving the most donations in 2021 were the Austrian Red Cross (€88.5m, up from €85m in 2020) and Caritas Austria (€88.2m, up from €80.8m in 2020). SOS Children’s Villages (€49.9m) and Doctors without Borders (€27.4m) were the only others receiving more than €20m in the year.

FVA also finds that approximately 67% of Austrians (aged over 15) donated to charity in 2021. This figure drops to 59% in the country’s southern states of Carinthia and Styria, although average donation amounts are higher here. Meanwhile, 73% of those in Burgenland and Lower Austria made a donation, but average donations were lower.

Legal changes needed

In his introduction to the report, FVA chief executive Günther Lutschinger suggests that inflation is likely to make it harder for people to donate in 2023, saying:

“Forecasts suggest that in 2023, nonprofit organisations will face a fundraising decline for the first time in many years. The federal government could significantly alleviate this by improving the laws around charitable donations.

“There is an absurd situation right now in which donations to protecting wild animals or furthering education in other countries are tax-exempt, but protecting domestic animals or supporting struggling schools in Austria is not, while human rights causes are also largely excluded from tax incentives.”

FVA also argues that the operating environment and legal framework for charitable foundations is much less favourable in Austria than is the case in neighbouring Germany and Switzerland. It is calling on politicians to address these issues in order to maintain the health of the sector in 2023.

The full report can be found on the FVA website.

Picture by Pixabay on Pexels

The first in-person meeting of the global face-to-face fundraising community is being held in Vienna from 30 May to 1 June. 

An early bird discount is available for a limited time, as well as group discounts. Speaker proposals are also being accepted through the end of this month.

The three-day programme will explore crucial issues and best practice through a series of interactive, outcome-driven, sessions based around the key themes of recruitment and team motivation; innovation and technology; donor journeys; ethical standards and self-regulation; and business models. Confirmed speakers include Daniel McDonnell of Unicef International and Elsbeth de Ridder of Save the Children International. 

“The International F2F Fundraising Congress will provide a unique global platform for learning, skill sharing and innovation in face-to-face fundraising – still the primary source of new donors worldwide,” says organiser and host Günther Lutschinger, CEO of Fundraising Association Austria (Fundraising Verband Austria).  

“Over the past two years we have held a series of free online-only summits to address crisis conditions in face-to-face fundraising, and we are thrilled to finally be hosting our global colleagues in-person in Vienna this summer. This is a wonderful opportunity for F2F fundraisers from across Europe and beyond to get together for the very first time at an event dedicated to this vital fundraising method, to share ideas and expertise, learn from each other and make new connections.” 

Speaker proposals can be submitted now until 22 January. F2F fundraising specialists with insights and experiences to share are encouraged to get in touch. In particular, the organisers are keen for case studies, new research, and ideas for masterclasses and workshops. 

Proposals will be evaluated by a committee of leading international fundraising experts, including Daryl Upsall (Daryl Upsall Consulting International), Ali Jones (Oxfam America), and Jean-Paul Kogan-Recoing (International Public Fundraising Council). 

Tickets can be purchased, and speaker proposals submitted, on the event site.

This means that every ninth euro donated to good causes in 2022 will come through a gift in a will.

Figures shared by Fundraising Verband Austria from the Lower Austrian Bar Association figures show that 16% of the population over 40 can imagine leaving a gift in their will, and 25% would be willing to use nonprofits as substitute heirs.

The main motivation for leaving a charitable bequest among Austrians is the desire to do something good after death. Having a personal connection to an organisation and stopping assets from going to the state are also important motivators.

Around half of those who leave a gift in their will are already known to the benefitting organisations as supporters, and almost 90% are childless. Most gifts tend to be between €50,000 and €100,000.

Austria sees almost 100,000 probate procedures processed every year. However, many are accompanied by protracted inheritance disputes. One in four Austrians has already been involved in one, usually because there is either no will or it is incorrectly written. 70% of people also say they have little information about legal succession, and around 85% do not know the formal requirements for wills.

Vergissmeinnicht – die Initiative für das gute Testament, which has more than 100 member organisations from across the nonprofit sector, is working to address this in partnership with the Chamber of Notaries. Its activity includes events throughout Austria, a guide to inheritance law, a podcast with notaries and a free digital will calculator, which helps users work out what they need to consider.

Its leader Markus Aichelburg comments:

“2,000 Austrians every year decide to consider not only relatives and friends but also charitable organisations in their wills. More and more people want to decide for themselves what happens to their belongings after death. They often want it to benefit charitable causes that were important to them during their lifetime.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels