A Roy Morgan survey revealed that 60.9 per cent of Australians donated to charity as of March 2018, compared to 70 per cent in 2011. 

In Tasmania, the rate was even lower at 59.4 per cent.

City Mission marketing and fundraising manager Vanessa Cahoon said not-for-profit companies were seeing a shift in donor behaviour.

“It is becoming increasingly challenging to raise funds,” she said.

“There has been a shift in people’s attitudes, which is positive as people now demand more transparency from charities and this is a good thing.

“There will continue to be shifts in giving behaviour as we learn to adapt to change in generational behaviours and attitudes.”

The state with the highest proportion of people who donate to charities was Victoria, with 62.9 per cent of people, however NSW had the largest average annual donations at $550 per donor. 

The state with the least amount of people donating to charity was Western Australia.

Roy Morgan chief executive Michele Levine said there were a number of potential factors that may have caused the national decline and stressed the importance of monitoring donor activity. 

“When it comes to charity spending, there are multiple indicators which can help charities understand changes in consumer behaviour, allowing them to refine their strategies,” she said.

“It’s vital for any business, including charities and not-for-profits, to keep up to date with their customer base and understand who donates and who doesn’t.”

Ms Cahoon singled out two potential reasons for lagging donation rates in Tasmania.

“We live in a multiple request environment, which can result in donor fatigue – people are constantly being asked for donations by a myriad of organisations,” she said.

“Household income is lower [in Tasmania] and wealthy Tasmanians are poorer, on average, than other [wealthy] Australians.”