[Reporter’s Notebook] Shrinking Donations, Collapsing Safety Net

60.4% Say "No Intention to Donate"
The Importance of State Support, Including Tax Incentives

On December 24, at the Wongaksa Free Meal Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, about 100 elderly people quietly lined up in the biting winter wind at 11:20 a.m., ten minutes before meal service began. The metal bowls were filled less than halfway with beef soup and rice. Although the portions were not generous, more than 320 people managed to stave off their hunger with that one meal. This was made possible thanks to ingredients gathered by volunteers pooling their resources.

An official at the meal center sighed, saying, "Last December, we had four corporate sponsors, but this year, there is only one." Among individual donors, more people are asking to reduce their monthly donations from 30,000 won to 10,000 won, or to stop donating altogether. He added, "We cannot stop the free meals that have continued for over 30 years, so we are coping by reducing the amount of meat and adding more vegetables."

Coal briquette donations, which have helped residents of hillside neighborhoods get through winter, are also dwindling. In November this year, the Briquette Bank received 407,146 briquettes, a sharp 45% decrease compared to the same month last year. Annual cumulative donations have also been on a downward curve, from 4.26 million briquettes in 2022 to 2.99 million last year. This year, as of November, only 890,000 briquettes had been donated. Heo Gibok, head of the Briquette Bank, expressed concern, saying, "Due to high inflation and the economic downturn, both individuals and companies say they have 'no capacity left' and are cutting back on donations. As winter deepens, the number of households needing briquettes increases, but the supply is woefully insufficient."

This year, the warmth of compassion that should fill the year-end season feels especially cold. Concerns are growing that the culture of giving itself is shrinking. According to the National Data Agency, the percentage of people who responded that they "have no intention to donate" increased from 58.8% in 2017 to 60.4% this year. The Global Philanthropy Environment Index (GPEI) shows that Korea's giving environment score has declined from 4.37 in 2018, to 3.94 in 2022, and to 3.85 this year. This index, compiled by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University in the United States, measures the global environment for charitable giving. The worsening giving environment is attributed to a combination of factors: the economic downturn, donation phobia, and reduced government support.

As charitable giving contracts, the resulting gaps translate directly into suffering for those on the outermost edges of the social safety net. When private goodwill dries up, it is ultimately the state that must step in to quench the thirst. If private relief efforts that have filled the gaps in the welfare system lose momentum, the central and local governments must operate a more comprehensive public support system.

In the long term, the culture of giving needs to be rebuilt. Incentives such as expanded tax deductions should be introduced so that donations are seen not as a "choice for the affluent," but as an "investment in a sustainable society." Systems for monitoring whether donations are used transparently must also be enhanced. After all, voluntary giving begins with the assurance that "my money is not being wasted."