A forecast from the industry organization Giva Sweden shows that giving to non-profit organizations in Sweden is increasing and is believed to reach SEK 12 billion by 2022, compared to SEK 9.7 billion the year before.
The support for Ukraine is the main explanation for the increase.
Veronica Strandh, who researches the role of civil society in disasters, accidents and crises, as well as what voluntary resources are available, believes that there are several reasons why the Swedes are so generous when it comes to Ukraine in particular.
- Firstly, we take part in the media reporting, where we see what enormous human suffering there is in Ukraine and what need there is for various types of emergency aid, says Veronica Strandh.
Additional factors for the generosity are the geographical proximity to Ukraine and the fact that important values such as democracy, human rights, openness and freedom are at stake.
Easier to donate
You can also see a changed pattern in how Swedes give.
In the past, it was most common to give gifts regularly through various organizations, while today it has become easier to create and give to private initiatives.
Now you can easily send money digitally or add a gift when shopping in store.
- They usually say that "it should be easy to do the right thing", says Veronica Strandh.