Church Givers Also Give To Charities

By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

(RNS) Houses of worship and other charities often aren't in competition for dollars but instead tend to reap donations from similar donors, a new study shows.

Slightly more than 50 percent of people who financially supported congregations also gave to at least one charitable organization in the last year, according to a study conducted by Phoenix-based Grey Matter Research Consulting.

Researchers also found that the more Americans give to a house of worship, the more they donate to other groups. And the trend continues with the generosity of the donor.

For example, donors who gave less than $100 to a house of worship also donated an average of $208 to other charities. Those who gave between $100 and $499 to a congregation gave an average of $376 to others. Donors of between $500 and $999 to places of worship gave an
average of $916 to others.

"Americans who give to their church or place of worship are more likely to give, period -- including to charitable organizations," said Ron Sellers, president of the Phoenix-based research firm, formerly known as Ellison Research "Rather than be in competition for the donor dollar, it seems that giving fosters giving."

The study, which was commissioned by the nonprofit fundraising firm Russ Reid Co. of Pasadena, Calif., was conducted last May by telephone and online among a nationally representative sample of 2,005 American adults. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.

Comments

[alterego55]

07:43 PM on 02/15/2011

Remove all tax benefits from all tax-exempt organizations, then lets see where the money flows.

[Rodig]

12:04 PM on 02/15/2011

This article makes three claims that are really not quite the same thing.

1) More than 50% of people who give at church give to at least one other congregation.

2) The more those people give to church, the more they give to other groups.

And then a claim that is not substantiated by the research:

3) Americans who give to church or more likely to give period.

Either way it sounds like church going Americans who give at church give more to other charities than church going Americans who don't give.

Just heading this off because the way this was written it could be lazily interpreted as church going americans are more charitable than non-church going americans, but that's not what the article is saying.

[brooklyncitizen]

10:06 AM on 02/15/2011

A lot of churches support charitable organizations and also have their own programs that fill a need. I do find myself giving to both though, especially anything that helps women and children.

[ninetailedfox]

09:39 AM on 02/15/2011

It sounds like this article was endorsed by charitable organizations. Some priest once told my husband that christianity is a buisness first, a religion second.

[daffey]

08:59 AM on 02/15/2011

In other new, the researchers have discovered that the Pope is Catholic. This is well known.

[dolfninnyc]

07:49 AM on 02/15/2011

nothing surprising here. People who makfe a habit of church going and church giving find happiness in giving to others in many other ways. Just another way people pursue happiness in this miraculous country of ours.

[Lost Rights]

01:50 AM on 02/15/2011

The original source of the concept that the poor should support the rich is the church collection basket. It has always supported the clergy in a style all would like to have. Where do you think they get all that gold they collect.

[daffey]

09:03 AM on 02/15/2011

As a former minister, I would like to have had this high living you speak of. Most of the 'wealthy clergy' we know of - largely through huge ministries that are best known - account for about 1% of the religious vocational world. Most either live well below the average, or actually have to work part time on the side. Some even do it for little to nothing at all. And that is only in Protestant Christianity. Beyond that are legions of variations on how religious leaders live and are compensated. Most congregations are typically less than 200 souls in rather small, limited in means, but surprisingly generous. Their leaders of limited means themselves.

[ninetailedfox]

09:42 AM on 02/15/2011

Be that as it may daffey, you cant deny that part of the protestant reformation break off from catholicism stemmed from the fact that Catholics gave indulgences.

[syntax facit saltum]

01:15 PM on 02/15/2011

That is a fantasy explanation that from my perspective on the left would lead to an obfuscation of the real source of the exploitation of the poor. The original source of the concept that the poor should support the rich is from the activity of the poor actually supporting the rich through the economy: whoever owns the means of production is able to exploit the labor of those who do not own the means of production to make even more money.
Clergy typically do not make very much money by the way. Your statement reminds me of the people who accuse teachers of having too much of the good life-- what with their long summer vacations.

[DrFunkenstein22]

01:47 AM on 02/15/2011

ECHO!
...Echo
...echo

[Lost Rights]

01:12 AM on 02/15/2011

What kind of church is it in the photo? Who wears jeans and a tee shirt to church? I haven't been to a church, raised catholic, in 25 years or more, but I don't remember people wearing jeans and tee shirts.
Oh well. Am I just an old fuddy duddy?

[daffey]

09:05 AM on 02/15/2011

You need to go to the nearest Catholic Church. Wearing jeans is not at all uncommon today - including in Catholic Churches. Oh, if you can, it's nice to dress up. But even leaders in many churches today where casual. Heck, I know a priest down the road who goes in sandals during Spring and Summer. Again, if folks can, they are encouraged to dress as best they can, but if not, most churches today have conceded to the cultural tendency of dressing down.

[kwoodgr]

12:58 PM on 02/15/2011

Yes, you are an old fuddy duddy. When I wear slacks and a nice sweater to church, I am outdressing my pastor.

[Jonathan Borr]

10:46 PM on 02/14/2011

Interesting, and very nice to see.