Elizabeth Crawford Thurber, executive director of the Fredericton Food Bank, says donations dropped by $70,000 in 2012. (CBC)

Many New Brunswick charities are still tallying up the holiday donations that will see them through 2013, but some already know their numbers are down.

The Fredericton Food Bank brought in about $70,000 less in 2012 compared to the previous year at $370,000, said executive director Elizabeth Crawford Thurber.

Meanwhile, the number of clients at the food and clothing bank has grown, she said.

But fundraising efforts continue, said Crawford Thurber.

"We're still hoping people have the 'Merry Christmas' feeling, and that they're still feeling a little bit generous, and have something left over for us."

The Royal Bank of Canada in Fredericton has, to date, collected about $500 in soon-to-be out of circulation pennies as part of a national fundraising effort for Free the Children, said branch spokeswoman Nancy Dunfield.

The Canadian charity says 2,500 pennies provide clean water for one person. The goal is to provide clean water to 100,000 people in developing countries.

Joyce Ferneyhough, who organized the estimated 150 volunteers for the Salvation Army kettles in Fredericton over the holidays, says the results were heartening.

"Tremendous, fantastic. It's way above last year. Last year we brought in $70,000, and this year we brought in $108,000," she said.

In 2010, New Brunswickers donated about $300 each to charities, according to Statistics Canada. Across Canada, about $8.3 billion was donated.