Brant County makes the Top 10 ‘most generous’ Canadian cities – Brantford ranked 100th

Brant County residents gave generously in 2024, according to year-end data from online donation and fundraising platform CanadaHelps.

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The municipality claimed the spot of 10th “most generous” city in a list of Canada’s 200 most populous communities.

Of the nearly 40,000 folks who call the county home, 1,556 gave nearly $700,000 combined to organizations registered with the platform in 2024, according to the data.

It meant nearly four per cent of county residents donated this year, bumping it up one spot on the list from last year.

“It is wonderful to see so many smaller cities ranked high on the list … (the Top 10 all have populations less than 150,000) highlighting how communities can rally together to make a big impact,” Duke Chang, president and CEO of CanadaHelps, said in a media release.

Haldimand County placed 34th on the list, Hamilton came 58th, Brantford was 100th and Norfolk County came 137th.

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Lansdowne Children’s Centre, Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation and Victim Services of Brant are some of the local groups using the platform for fundraising efforts.

The data doesn’t represent donations to causes that aren’t registered with the platform, like the county’s municipal projects.

Over the past few years, community members have donated $3.9 million toward the realization of the Cowan Community Health Hub, TF Warren Cainsville Community Center and Wilkin Family Community Center, according to a capital fundraising campaigns report the administration and operations committee saw on Dec. 10 .

Still, the report spoke to indications of “donor fatigue,” noting the donor base hasn’t changed much, with the same people giving to various campaigns.

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With a mandate of raising 25 per cent of construction costs for projects exceeding $1 million from the community, county staff suggested there could be challenges raising enough funds for projects on the horizon.

In the next few years, the county will be expected to contribute toward a new Brantford General Hospital, and is looking at the expansion of the Brant Sports Complex, construction of a new Glen Morris Community Center and library, and the Bawcutt Center new main library branch.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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