The Winnipeg Foundation released a report on Wednesday that shows a significant downturn in the number of people that make any donations to charity.

Stressed, Stretched, and Still Standing was the name of the report. The Winnipeg Foundation says that the name shows clearly that Winnipeg's charitable sector "is both stressed and stretched but still very resilient."

The report looked at tax returns in five-year chunks, over a 20-year period and points to a staggering drop in the number of people that make donations to charity.

Between 1997 and 2001, 31 per cent of Winnipeggers claimed charitable giving on their tax returns.

While there are fewer people giving to charity, the amount of money those people are giving is steadily on the rise (Winnipeg Foundation)Over the next 20 years, that number slowly & steadily shrunk. Between 2012 and 2016, 26 per cent of people claimed charitable giving.

However, the Winnipeg Foundation is quick to point out that "We live in a generous province."

In fact, while the number of people giving financial gifts is steadily declining, the amount of money they give is on the rise.

In 1997 - 2001, the average gift was $929. While the number of donors has shrunk by five per cent, the amount given has nearly doubled. In 2012 - 2016 the average gift rose to $1,802.

The report says that "For Winnipeg and Manitoba charities, the conclusion is obvious. Donors are very special people and becoming harder to find."

Another bright note in the report was that Manitobans remain to be the most generous in the country.