What role does faith play in philanthropy? Do the religious give more or less than the secular? Do the social conservatives give more or less than social liberals? The articles in this section examine the connection between religious faith and charitable giving.
Compassionate Conservatives
Brad Miner. Interview with Arthur C. Brooks. CompassPoints Blog, November 10, 2006.
So who really gives more, conservatives or liberals? Based on research for his book Who Really Cares: America’s Charity Divide: Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why It Matters: The Surprising Truth about Compassionate Conservatism, Syracuse University researcher Arthur C. Brooks was surprised to discover that “households headed by a conservative gave 30 percent more money to charity in 2000 than liberal families, despite earning less, on average.” However, Brooks does not attribute this difference to conservative politics itself but, rather, to the forces associated with it. He believes there are four characteristics associated with conservative-minded people that make them more likely to give: (1) regular participation in religious activities, (2) a disfavor of “high levels of forced redistribution,” (3) an earning of one’s own income and (4) parents’ modeling giving to their children. While true generosity is not necessarily a result of one’s political convictions, this interview with an admitted skeptic affirms that a heart transformed produces a lifestyle of marked generosity.
 Back to top
Irrational Act
Rich Karlgaard. Forbes, February 14, 2005.
Tithing appears to be an economically irrational act. Yet Rich Karlgaard examines whether the practice might, mysteriously, produce beneficial effects for the tither. He sees in the lives of friends and acquaintances that tithing seems “to work.” Tithers claim that they worry less about finances, feel a freedom from their possessions, and are more willing to take a chance. Some feel that they have become better entrepreneurs as a result, and many say that the discipline they learn from tithing springs up in other areas of life, helping them to save more and avoid frivolous spending. Thus, Karlgaard concludes that tithing may be one of those paradoxes where a seemingly detrimental act produces a beneficial result. And why should that be so strange? The whole system of capitalism is built on similar ironies.
Back to top
Thrift and Generosity
Theodore Roosevelt Malloch. Speech delivered at the Lyford Cay Club, Nassau, Bahamas, March 22, 2005.
These days, “frugality is about as popular as chastity or abstinence.” Thrift, however, used to be considered a virtue, and its Latin root “to thrive” shows its positive origin. Ted Malloch gives a fascinating outline of the history of thrift, beginning with Aristotle and taking us through the Protestant Reformation and the Victorian era. Malloch argues that the true nature of “the Protestant work ethic” is not, as Max Weber implies, thrift for the sake of greed but rather thrift for the sake of greater generosity. “In Calvinism, for the first time, work was given a religious character,” and the notions of calling, industry, caring for the poor, and investing wisely were elevated to a new height. Thus, thrift—often recognized as a Victorian virtue—is deeply rooted in the Reformation and in Scripture, and it to be valued today.
Back to top
Religious Faith and Charitable Giving
Arthur C. Brooks. Policy Review, no. 21 (October/November 2003).
This essay by an associate professor of public administration at Syracuse University highlights the significant difference between the charitable giving by religious and nonreligious people. Brooks’ research shows that the average religious person is 23 percent more likely to give financially and 26 percent more likely to volunteer their time than a demographically identical nonreligious person. While he suggests there may be many reasons why religious people are more likely to give or volunteer to both religious and nonreligious causes, the author’s particular concern is to show how the combination of political and religious views affects charitable giving. Brooks’ research shows that political conservatives are more likely to give than political liberals. Brooks says that this connection between political orientation and giving is not inherent, but it too highlights the connection that political conservatives tend to be more religious and political liberals tend to be more secular. One example of this connection is the fact that religious people tend to believe in and contribute to faith-based programs, and thus give less political and financial support to big government programs. Brooks’ final analysis is that religious people do receive the more consistent teaching on giving than nonreligious people, and if nonreligious people do want to increase their giving, they must find similar motivation to make giving a habit.
Back to top
Memphis Area Household Giving Far Exceeds National Average: Religious Beliefs a Key Factor, According to New ‘Giving Memphis’ Report—First of Its Kind
News release by the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy, December 2, 2003.
Following the model of the annual Giving USA publication series, Giving Memphis: The Report on Philanthropy in the Memphis Region for 2002 is the first report of its kind to measure the total charitable giving in a U.S. region from four sources (individuals, foundations, corporations and bequests) as well as the ways the gift are distributed among nonprofit organizations in the region. Among the findings: The average annual charitable donation of Memphis-area households in 2002 is estimated to be 55 percent higher than the national average. The average annual contribution of Memphis-area households was $2,283, compared with the national average of $1,470. Among the 63.8 percent citing religion as a major factor in their giving, the average total contribution was $3,672, by far the largest amount for any motivation identified by the study.
Back to top
Study Links Religious Faith and Acts of Charity
Leah Kerkman. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, September 4, 2003.
Religious beliefs and altruistic acts are strongly linked, according to a study by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, titled Altruism in Contemporary America: A Report from the National Altruism Study. Researchers found that people who said they attend church weekly and participate in other religious activities reported an average of 128 “acts of kindness” a year, while those who said they never attend church reported an average of 96 acts of kindness.
Back to top
Three Religious Views about the Responsibilities of Wealth
James F. Smurl. Essays on Philanthropy, no. 4. Indianapolis: Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, 1991.
In the late 19th-century several U.S. humanitarian activities sprang up through philanthropic programs such as those of Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Jane Addams. This essay examines this era by focusing on three sets of religious beliefs and practices which can help sustain a sense of moral accountability regarding wealth. It not only examines the religious and other cultural factors which animated such activities on the part of Protestant American philanthropists, but it also compares them with Jewish and Muslim philanthropic activities in roughly the same period in time in different cultural settings. In order to identify the religious and cultural wellsprings of what philanthropists in those three social settings understood to be the responsibilities of wealth, the first part of this essay provides a comparative outline of the messages, methods and moralities of wealth developed in the foundational documents of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The second section offers an account of how these foundational elements were understood—and occasionally changed—over the last century. In the third part of the essay, readers will be invited to think about what might be needed in the 21st century and how the religious and cultural messages and methods considered in the first two parts might prove valuable for encouraging morally responsible habits and practices in the pursuit and use of wealth today.
Back to top
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves? The Effects of Religious Affiliation, Religiosity, and Deservedness on Generosity toward the Poor
John K. Cochran and Jeffry A. Will. Sociology of Religion, 1995. Volume 56, Issue 3.
Few studies in recent sociological literature include detailed analysis of how religious affiliation and religiosity affect perceptions of the poor. In this paper, data from the 1986 GSS Factorial Survey Supplement are used to examine the effects of religious affiliation and religiosity on generosity toward poor families, and on factors which affect such generosity. The analysis suggests that religious affiliation has a strong relationship with levels of generosity, and that indicators of deservedness vary among faith groups.
Back to top
New Institute Will Study Faith and Philanthropy
Brad Wolverton. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, November 28, 2002.
A $5-million gift to Indiana University by the family of a former Lilly Endowment chairman will be used to create an institute that will explore the connection between faith and charitable giving. The Lake Family Institute on Faith and Giving, established by the children of the late Thomas H. and Marjorie Lytle Lake, will be created at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, in Indianapolis.
Back to top
Faith Fuels Charity: Americans Who Give to Religion Are More Generous Than Secular Donors and Volunteers, Report Says
Philanthropy Journal, June 27, 2002.
Americans who contribute to religious congregations give more of their time and money than those who don’t support religion, a new report says. Americans who donate money or time to religious groups are the “bedrock” of U.S. charity, donating seven dollars in eight of all contributions and nearly four times as much as those who give only to secular charities, according to Faith and Philanthropy: The Connection Between Charitable Behavior and Giving to Religion. In addition to philanthropic giving, religious activity also helps drive volunteerism. “In round numbers, one-third of the people give two-thirds of the time,” the report says. “It is evident that faith has a remarkable impact on volunteering.”
Back to top
A Snapshot of Civic Ties: Regional Survey Links Religion with Strong Sense of Community
Elizabeth Schwinn. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 8, 2001.
Religious belief and participation are key indicators of civic involvement, specifically in determining how Americans participate in a wide range of social activities, including giving, volunteering, and other efforts that build strong communities, according to results of a new survey. This story is accompanied by a table, Social Connections: A Scorecard for 40 Regions and a sidebar, How Study Measured Community Connections.
Back to top
Faith and Philanthropy Linked
Larry Witham. The Washington Times, June 27, 2002.
Americans who help religious congregations not only give more time and money than people working with secular causes, but they also provide three-quarters of secular charity as well, a new study shows. The study found that religion-giving households in 2000 gave 87.5 percent of all charitable contributions in the nation, for an average of $2,100 for each household. Givers to religious congregations are dramatically more generous than others, said the report, issued by Independent Sector, a nonprofit research organization, and the National Council of Churches.
Back to top
Donors to Religious Groups Give More Than Others, Study Finds
Elizabeth Schwinn. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 27, 2002.
Households that donate to a church, temple, mosque, or other religious organization tend to give far more to charity overall—including to nonreligious groups—than those that do not, according to a new report by by Independent Sector and the National Council of Churches. This story includes tables and graphs illustrating how givers and volunteers to religious causes fare against those who give to and volunteer for secular causes only.
Back to top
The Fundraisers' Pledge of Allegiance
Tom Watson. onPhilanthropy, June 25, 2002.
When the Senate voted 99-0 this week to condemn a federal appeals court's ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance violated the Constitutional seperation of church and state, it showed the depth of influence that religion plays in public life. In truth, the United States is far from a secular nation and a majority of Americans consistently identify themselves as believers in polls, even if they are unaffiliated with formal religious organizations. No surprise then, that a new report from Independent Sector and the National Council of Churches shows that households who give to faith-based charities generally give more overall to all charities.
Back to top
|
| | |
Top Picks
Faith and Philanthropy
More on This Topic
Books
FAQ
Related Topics
Faith-Based vs.
Secular Charities
Funding the Great
Commission
Strategic Giving
|
