Donations triple in a decade in Czech Republic

The amount of donations made by individuals and companies in the Czech Republic trebled between 2012 and 2022, to a total figure thought to exceed CZK 18bn (€720m).

Analysis for the Government of tax return data, combined with data from donation platforms Darujme.cz and Donio.cz, shows that a total of CZK 12.5bn was declared in tax returns in 2022, an increase from CZK 4.4bn in 2012.

Two thirds of the 2022 total comes from gifts given by a total of 32,000 companies, with the rest from individuals. As two-thirds of Czechia residents do not file tax returns, the researchers suggested that total individual giving is likely to be around CZK 10bn, meaning an overall total of CZK 18bn or more.

The researchers say that because 2022 giving was particularly motivated by support for Ukraine, following the Russian invasion, the figures for 2023 will be slightly lower. However, data suggests that the total number of donors continues to increase, even if average donation size has decreased, most likely due to cost-of-living pressures.

The data also shows that since 2012, the number of individuals deducting tax in lieu of donations in their tax return has grown from 6.4% to 10.2%.

It notes too that companies based in Prague, the capital city, account for half of all corporate donations in 2022. However, only 4% of companies registered there made a donation: one of the lowest rates of any region in the country.

In 2023, the average single donation across the two fundraising platforms studied was CZK 655 (€26), with donors averaging two to three donations per year.

This data, the first of its kind gathered in the country, will support the growth of the sector. Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková, Government Commissioner for Human Rights, comments:

“This data will allow us to better understand the dynamics of donations and more effectively support private donors and the nonprofit sector.”

Jana Ledvinová, director of the České centrum fundraisingu (Czech Fundraising Center), adds:

“With more and more nonprofits in Czechia beginning to think seriously about fundraising, and running sophisticated and successful campaigns, it is a really exciting time in the sector. There is an opportunity to build a culture of giving, in which the people of Czechia will be able to contribute and see the impact they are having on the many nonprofit organisations doing fantastic work across the country.”

Picture by Radek Kozák on Unsplash