Turks donate some 980 liras on average

ISTANBUL

The average aid and donations made by an individual per annum were 983 Turkish Liras in 2021, a study by the Third Sector Foundation of Turkey (TÜSEV) has shown.

In the previous study, conducted in 2019, the average aid and donations made were 303 liras. When adjusted with inflation, that amount comes to 433 liras for 2021.

The natural disasters that Turkey experienced last year and the pandemic appeared to be the main causes behind the increase in individual aid and donations made in 2021, the foundation concluded.

The aid and donations corresponded to some 0.95 percent of the country’s national income, up from 0.5 percent in 2019 and 0.8 percent in the study conducted in 2015.

The study also showed that giving to the poor is considered primarily the duty of the state in Turkey and that individuals prefer to give directly to those in need rather than through an organization.

Some 45 percent of people made an informal donation, such as food, clothes or money, to a relative, neighbor, or other individuals in need over the past year, the study also found. That marked seven points increase from the previous research.

Donations made to beggars remained significant, with five out of 10 saying they give money to beggars.

When asked why they prefer to give directly to a beneficiary rather than donating to an organization, people stated that their donations are small in amount and irregular and also expressed distrust toward the organizations.

TÜSEV’s 2021 edition of Individual Giving and Philanthropy in Turkey survey was conducted in 143 districts of 49 out of all 81 provinces with more than 1,700 participants.