TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2025 /CNW/ - New data from the BMO Real Financial Progress Index this Giving Tuesday reveals 65% of Canadians plan to give back to their community this holiday season despite rising costs and economic uncertainty.

• Giving With Meaning: Among the 65% of Canadians planning to give back, 58% say they want to help people in need and half (51%) aim to support causes they care about. Additionally, 26% hope to teach their families the importance of giving.  
• The Spirit of the Season: More than a quarter (28%) of Canadians plan to give money this holiday season, while 29% of Canadians have already donated throughout the year.
• Giving During Uncertainty: 65% of Canadians wish they could give more but say they are financially limited this year, with 31% of Canadians planning to donate less.

"Even during these challenging economic times, Canadians are finding ways to give," said Sharon Haward-Laird, Group Head, Canadian Commercial Banking & North American Integrated Solutions, and BMO Employee Giving Campaign Co-Chair, BMO. "This Giving Tuesday, BMO launches our 15th annual Employee Giving campaign in support of United Way and charities across North America, where thousands of BMO employees will contribute through donations, volunteering and advocacy. I am so proud of how Team BMO comes together for this campaign every year, helping to address the urgent needs of today, and supporting long-lasting solutions to strengthen our communities going forward."

"Times are tough, and with rapid population growth, basic needs are rising," said Heather McDonald, President & CEO of United Way Greater Toronto. "Poverty and food insecurity in Canada have surged nearly 40% in two years. United Way is tackling these challenges head-on. BMO is one of United Ways largest corporate supporters globally! Through their Employee Giving Campaign, BMO employees help power a network reaching 7.3 million people annually via 5,000 community agencies, providing shelters, meals, mental health, and job supports."

Over the last 10 years, BMO employees have given nearly $250 million to help communities thrive through the campaign, with industry-leading levels of 80%+ engagement across the organization.

BMO Employee Giving Campaign Kit Packing Events:

BMO's Employee Giving campaign kit-packing events, in support of United Way and charities across North America, take place on Giving Tuesday, December 2, in 16 communities - Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Denver, Phoenix, NYC, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Minneapolis.

With over seven decades of experience in bringing community, corporate and government partners together, United Way plays a unique and vital role in supporting vulnerable populations and driving systemic change. Through its advocacy work and ground-breaking research, the organization works closely with its agencies to better understand and identify urgent issues and needs of individuals and families and helps fuel this network to support more than 8 million across Canada every year through shelters, community kitchens, employment, mental health supports, and more.

About the BMO Real Financial Progress Index
Launched in February 2021, the BMO Real Financial Progress Index is an indicator of how consumers feel about their personal finances and whether they are making financial progress. The index aims to spark dialogue that will help consumers reach their financial goals and to humanize a topic that causes anxiety for many – money.

The research detailed in this document was conducted by Ipsos in Canada and the U.S. from September 3 to October 11, 2025. A sample of n=2,500 adults ages 18+ in Canada as well as the U.S. were collected. Quotas and weighting were used to ensure the composition of the samples reflects that of the Canadian or U.S. population according to census parameters. The surveys have a credibility interval of +/- 2.4 per cent 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all Canadian or U.S. adults 18+ been surveyed.

BMO Gives. Good grows here.
Helping communities thrive by supporting the organizations that sustain them and encouraging employee giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life.

In 2024, we directed more than $108 million to drive progress for communities, which included $101 million in philanthropic contributions to hundreds of charities and nonprofit organizations across North America.

Our colleagues spent over 54,000 hours volunteering in the community and contributed more than $39 million of donations through employee-driven giving in our annual campaigns.

For more information, please visit BMO.com.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group