However, Cancer Society regional communication manager Rachael Mounsey said the organisation was pleased with the donations it received for this year's Daffodil Day appeal.
"We had a lot of community support ," she said. "It's our largest fund raising event and we had a really good result," she said.
Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ) chief executive James Austin said public donations had dipped in recent years.
"It is harder to get. People are working harder at raising funds than they were before," Mr Austin said.
People were more cautious with their money now, focusing more on saving and justifying any discretionary spending.
"Everyone's being a little more careful, they're paying off debt and they are questioning all those letters they're getting in the mail asking them to give to everything from child cancer, Canteen ... you name it," Mr Austin said.
"At the same time, charities are doing more, there are more fundraising activities going on, there are more street appeals going on."
Charities were working harder to maintain funding and those that relied on a sole income source had struggled to survive during the economic downturn, Mr Austin said.
Those that survived had high credibility, good marketing teams and more than one income stream.
Online giving had also seen a massive boon, which older charities with "dreadful" websites needed to adapt to, Mr Austin said.
Mr Austin said New Zealand was one of the world's most generous countries, however, we tended to give more time than money and needed to give more through bequests.
By the numbers
Of the 10,526 charities which filed an annual return in 2011:
$884,038,883 was received in donations
$108,865,559 was received in bequests
Of the 11,064 charities which filed an annual return in 2010:
$1,024,623,676 was received in donations
$89,603,624 was received in bequests