Canada, the trade war and the precarity mindset—and its impact on Canadian charities

 

Canadians are feeling stressed these days, according to pollster David Coletto. That’s no surprise, considering the trade war and Donald Trump musing about annexing the country.

 

It’s led to what he calls the “precarity mindset,” a mindset focused on “not knowing whether the ground beneath you will hold.” Ninety per cent of Canadians feel this way, he says, seeing instability and uncertainty “are the new normal.”

 

This sense of precarity plays out in various ways, such as cutting down on spending on things like eating out, going to movies, upgrading furniture, taking vacations — and donating to charities. 

 

Read the first of my three-part series in Canadian Affairs about how the challenging political and economic landscape is affecting charitable giving today; the second about how the culture of generosity in Canada is drying up; and the third about how Canadian charities are responding.