Contrary to what some might believe, young Quebecers wear their hearts on their sleeves and overwhelmingly engage in philanthropic activities, even if they are not necessarily aware of it.
A Léger survey conducted on behalf of the Mallet Institute shows that 87 per cent of Quebecers aged 18 to 40 have made a philanthropic contribution in the past year. The institute’s executive director, Caroline Richard, welcomes the data from the first survey of its kind with great hope: “It’s good news to see that young people, even though they don’t see themselves as philanthropists, are involved in philanthropy. This is good news for the philanthropic sector, yes, but also for our society.”
The notion of philanthropy often evokes large foundations and donations from wealthy individuals, but Richard points out that a philanthropic gesture can be “a donation of time, expertise, goods, or money, depending on one’s means, of course. We must take into consideration that these young people are, at a certain point, in school or at the beginning of their careers. We see donations changing over time, but above all we see that the reflex to give is already there.”
Breaking down the survey data, we see that many young people performed more than one altruistic act of different kinds. While 87 per cent of respondents performed at least one act, 71 per cent donated material goods, 55 per cent donated money, 49 per cent donated food, and 32 per cent donated their time.
In the money and time categories, more detailed data shows that while the average monetary donation from young people was $162, when we exclude those who did not donate any money, the average donation from those who did donate was $296. In terms of time, the overall average is 13 hours donated, but again, when those who did not donate any time are excluded from the calculation, the average rises to 40 hours.
However, young people are not very aware of the importance of their philanthropic actions. The survey tells us that 66 per cent of them feel that “my actions are not significant enough given the scale of social, humanitarian, or environmental issues.”
However, this perception is not only false, it is also a source of concern for organizations specializing in philanthropy such as the Mallet Institute, emphasizes Richard: “This is very important to us in the sense that it must not become an obstacle to giving. It becomes even more important to explain that every gesture counts when it comes to philanthropy, and to remind young people of the importance of every donation and that, yes, philanthropic gestures do have an impact.”
Unsurprisingly, half of young people believe that “philanthropy is reserved for people who are better off (financially or professionally) than me,” another misconception that highlights the need to explain what philanthropy is: “It’s not just a monetary donation. It depends on your financial means, but also on the resources and commitment you are willing to give when it comes to donating time or goods. Above all, it’s the reflex to give that we need to cultivate, according to our abilities and interests,” insists Richard.
The causes that concern young people the most may surprise many. According to them, the top 10 priority causes are, in order:
1) vulnerable children; 2) mental health (number one among 18-25 year olds); 3) education; 4) medical research; 5) helping the poor; 6) violence against women; 7) animal welfare; 8) environmental protection; 9) international or humanitarian aid; and 10) human rights.
“The causes surprised us,” admits Richard. “When you see vulnerable youth or even mental health at the top of the list, you really see a significant shift. I think that explains a lot about the context they live in, the issues they see and experience.”
However, the survey is not specific enough to determine whether this order corresponds to the choice of philanthropic actions. In other words, it is not possible to determine whether there were more philanthropic actions taken for vulnerable children or mental health, for example, than for the defense of animals or the environment.
Finally, it should be noted that, according to the survey data, just over half of young people have heard about philanthropy at school, but 86 per cent of them believe that “philanthropy and social engagement should be integrated into the primary and secondary school curriculum.” Philanthropy in education “varies greatly,” laments Richard.
The survey was conducted online from Aug. 28 to Sept. 7, 2025, among 1,000 Quebec adults aged 18 to 40. For reference, for a probabilistic sample of the same size, the maximum margin of error is +/- three per cent, 19 times out of 20.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
