For the fifth time, Yettel surveyed Hungarians about their Christmas habits of Hungarians, from communication to gift-giving and donations[1], including whether they plan to donate and, if so, to whom, how and how much.
Three-quarters of respondents usually donate or volunteer their time. Compared to last year, there has been a slight increase in the number of people who only donate money, goods or services (41%). The number of people who both donate and volunteer has fallen slightly (from 39% to 34%). A mere 1% of respondents engage in volunteering only.
The amount of occasional cash donations has somewhat decreased compared to last year. This year, a quarter of donors (26%) will give more than HUF 5,000 at a time, compared to a third last year. The majority (58%) still donate between HUF 1,000 and HUF 5,000 to people in need per occasion.
How they help during the holidays
During the holidays, most people (22%) will again help those in need with donations in-kind (clothes, shoes, school supplies and other useful items) – but almost as many (20%) will donate money. Services such as language courses or counselling will be donated at a similar rate to last year (5%), while the number of people volunteering has fallen slightly (from 8% to 7%).
Four out of ten people plan to donate and/or volunteer this Christmas, while a third plan to do neither. Apart from financial constraints (56%) and lack of time (31%), the main reason is a lack of trust. Many people (22%) do not feel confident that their donation will go to the right place. Seven out of ten (69%) want to know exactly how their donation will be used (not just at Christmas but in general), while two thirds (64%) would be relieved to know what is needed and what would be appreciated by the recipients.
Focus on children in need
Among the various potential beneficiaries of donations and volunteering, the most common targets are the chronically ill (46%), disadvantaged or needy children (43%), children in state care (41%) and animal shelters (44%).
“We find that young people aged 13-18 tend to receive the lowest number of donations. This may be because parents with younger children are over-represented among our donors”, said Dávid Gál, Executive Director of Hungarian Baptist Aid. “Nevertheless, gifts have a special value for disadvantaged teenagers. For them, the lack of prospects and the need to find a job on the labour market are key challenges. They may also have to leave their carefree childhood behind earlier. A gift not only brings them joy, but also shows them that someone is thinking of them, that they are not completely alone and that they are important.”
The more we do good, the better Christmas will be – that’s the message from Yettel this year. To make it easier to donate, find the right form of donation, the right recipient and reduce time pressure, the mobile operator and the Hungarian Baptist Aid have launched a joint fundraising campaign that will make 1,200 children’s wishes come true this year. Customers can find a Christmas tree with 60 ornaments each in twenty Yettel shops across the country. Each ornament has a unique QR code that links to the child’s wish. The gift and its delivery are arranged by the mobile operator and Hungarian Baptist Aid. The mobile operator also has surprises in store for its customers during the Advent season. Every Sunday from 1 December, a virtual window will be opened in Yettel’s mobile app. These digital Advent windows contain valuable surprises related to culture, technology and fashion, which can be used nationwide.