Living situations contributing to the risk of social exclusion among the elderly
15. 9. 2016Social environment of elderly people and how they spend their free time
24. 4. 2018Key words: donation, donation in the street, financial donation, good cause
Donating funds for a good cause is a relatively common activity in the Czech Republic. At least one half of the adult Czech population does this, along with other various forms of donation (material gifts including food and even blood donation), according to various surveys. People donate money for social purposes (to specific persons or groups of persons), other purposes (nature preservation, endangered species) and even for no specific purpose (e.g. foundations that redistribute the funds). The forms of people’s financial donations evolve over time. How popular is giving money in the street – which can be considered a conservative form of financial donation – currently among Czech citizens?
The Institute for Evaluation and Social Analyses (INESAN) undertook a questionnaire research into the matters of donation in the Czech Republic in February 2014. Respondents were asked about their value stances and other circumstances related to donations. The data was obtained by means of face-to-face interviews with a quote-selected sample. In total, 1,327 valid interviews were conducted with respondents aged 18 to 64.
The percentage of respondents who gave to charity in the year preceding the interview is relatively high. 58 % of respondents state that they gave their money for a good cause. A contribution to a public fundraising activity in the street was the most frequent form of money donation – 67 % of the respondents who gave at least some amount gave it this way. The use of this form of donation varied significantly between the various groups of respondents. Respondents with primary education were the most numerous group to choose this form of donation – 84 % of them contributed to fundraisers in the street. The number of those who gave this way decreased with increasing level of education. 68 % of people with secondary education used this form, as did just 40 % of respondents with university education. Moravian people gave more often in the street (72 % of them), as opposed to the people in Bohemia (68 % of them) and in particular in Prague (47 % of them). The last reviewed variable that influenced the frequency of giving to fundraisers in the street is the respondents’ political preference. Left-wing orientated respondents tend to donate money in the street more (73 %) than centrists (67 % of them). The respondents who referred to themselves as right-wing followers donated the least often this way (62 % of them).
Based on the results of the analysis prepared by INESAN, we can assume that the donation of money in the streets can be seen as a conservative tool for helping. While this was the most frequent form of donation, it is also the most frequent form among respondents with lower education – ones who may consider other forms of donation (such as credit transfer or donation text messages) to be risky or less reliable. This notion is also confirmed by the less frequent use of this form of donation among the citizens of Prague where it is possible to expect quicker adaptation to modern forms of charity donations. There is also an apparent correlation with the amount donated. For example, people with university education donated on average almost six times higher amounts than people with primary education. Giving higher amounts to fundraisers in the streets can be seen as less common.