Giving in the Czech Republic is growing faster than the GDP. Current data from this year’s tax returns show that individuals and companies in the Czech Republic give more each year. Individual giving in 2014 exceeded $41,170,900 (CZK 1.7 billion) for the first time since 1989 with year-on-year growth of 4.2%, which year-on-year inflation in 2014 was only 0.4%. The average gift per capita in the CR in 2014 was $6.70 (CZK 162) (highest in Prague: $13 (CZK 311)).

Corporate gifts are also growing. In 2014 Czech companies were 4.72 times more generous than in 2000, giving more than $144,160,450 (CZK 3.5 billion) in all.

“While most corporate gifts probably are evidenced through tax returns, I believe that overall individual giving is at least twice as much as that recorded in tax returns,” said Jiří Bárta, Executive Director of Via Foundation which focuses on philanthropy development in the Czech Republic. Via Foundation estimates that total private giving in the Czech Republic – i.e. the sum of corporate and individual giving – is close to 300 million dollars (CZK 7 billion).

The growth in giving is confirmed by other data, for example data from the online giving tool Darujme.cz. According to current data, the volume of gifts donated through this internet service grew by 80% year-on-year.

Data from Darujme.cz also show an interesting trend. In the fall the volume of gifts to organizations addressing the refugee crisis grew dramatically, which was a major factor in the year-on-year growth in online gifts through this portal.