War in Ukraine increasing willingness to donate among Hungarians

Analysis

Image by BarMur / Shutterstock.com

Some 81% of Hungarian adults donate in some way, according to a survey commissioned by OTP Bank, with 48% of the population saying that the importance of donations has increased due to the coronavirus and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The most common form of support is donating 1% of personal income tax to aid organizations (48%), but material donations (36%) are also common, when people help those in need with clothes, food, or toys.

Some 19 % of adults said they do not donate in any form.

According to the survey, 43% of adults regularly donate small amounts, while 7% donate larger amounts to causes they consider important but less often. Some 14% said they donate both large and small amounts, and 31% donate only 1% of their personal income tax to churches and organizations.

Adults who regularly donate to organizations typically donate up to HUF 5,000 per month (67%), of which 25% donate between HUF 1,001 and HUF 5,000, 22% between HUF 501 and HUF 1,000 and 20% regularly make micro-donations, i.e. donations of between HUF 100 and 500.

"For OTP Bank, it is of utmost importance to develop the Hungarian culture of donations, which is why we are creating opportunities to offer micro-donations through our digital banking channels and ATMs. A donation of a few hundred forints is not a significant amount for a private person, but several thousand donations of HUF 100 can be of decisive importance in the life of an organization or foundation, as it can help them achieve their socially important goals," said Dóra Szabó, CSR group manager of OTP Bank, emphasizing the power of micro-donations.

"At the moment, for example, more than HUF 100 million has already been collected through OTP Bank's digital donation platform for the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta to support refugees in Ukraine. This amount was collected from donations of HUF 100, 200, or 500," she added.

The survey also revealed that the most supported donation goal for micro-donations is animal welfare, which was mentioned by 26% of respondents. Animal welfare was followed by support for children's welfare with 23%, followed by helping the disadvantaged with 14%, but support for people with illnesses (12%) and people with physical disabilities (7%) were also considered important. People with mental disabilities were the top priority for 3% of respondents, while some people said they would support refugees and integration efforts (2% each).

Hungary Account Deficit at EUR 561 mln in Q4 Debt

Hungary Account Deficit at EUR 561 mln in Q4

Moldovan Pensions to be Increased as of April 1 World

Moldovan Pensions to be Increased as of April 1

Schoenherr Names Miklós Klenanc as Head of Local M&A Practic... Appointments

Schoenherr Names Miklós Klenanc as Head of Local M&A Practic...

Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency to Host Summit Drinks

Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency to Host Summit

SUPPORT THE BUDAPEST BUSINESS JOURNAL

Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For 27 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.
Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.