Charitable donations hold firm despite downturn
Swiss residents donated one per cent more to charity in 2008 than in the previous year, with individual households contributing the most.
The total of Swiss charitable donations was SFr1.437 billion, SFr15 million more than the previous year, the annual donation statistics compiled by the charity certification office Zewo show.
Some SFr830 million was donated by private individuals, the rest by associations, churches and companies.
The contribution from legacies declined for the third year in a row, falling 8.4 per cent to SFr101 million.
Two-thirds of the total monies donated went to Zewo-certified charities. The Zewo certificate is awarded to organisations which are open about their activities, conduct transparent accounts and use their budget in a goal-oriented, effective and economical way.
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