Fewer Americans are donating to charity — and it may have nothing to do with money

[Cooky]

"One factor driving the decline: Americans are becoming less likely to attend religious services or identify with a specific religion.

“Attending services is correlated with giving to religious organizations, but it’s also correlated with giving to secular groups,” Osili said.

Giving to charity is, of course, a core belief for many of the world’s major religions. And very religious people of any faith are more likely to give to charity, one study by Baylor University researchers found.

But there are fewer very religious people than ever in the U.S. The share of the population who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular” is now at 26%, up from 17% in 2009, according to 2018 and 2019 surveys by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan “fact tank” in Washington, D.C."

...Essentially, society losing religion does indeed show some negative effects.

Fewer Americans are donating to charity — and it may have nothing to do with money

 

[epronovost]

Were Churches counted as charities in this study? If so, it's a bit disingenuous since donating to your own Church is often self serving thus not very charitable.

 

[Father Heathen]

So the insinuation is that one must be superstitious in order to be compassionate?

 

[Revoltingest]

Another factor is the increased size of the standard deduction.
This means that many millions more Ameristanians don't have
enuf deductions to exceed it. In effect, they get the deduction
without having to make the donation.

 

[Father Heathen]

Were Churches counted as charities in this study? If so, it's a bit disingenuous since donating to your own Church is often self serving thus not very charitable.

Also people are becoming less inclined to donate to religious charities as many divert funds into proselytization and/or political agendas.

 

[Cooky]

Were Churches counted as charities in this study? If so, it's a bit disingenuous since donating to your own Church is often self serving thus not very charitable.

It's talking about all charities, including secular charities.

 

[Cooky]

So the insinuation is that one must be superstitious in order to be compassionate?

I don't recall that being stated in the article, no.

 

[Cooky]

Also people are becoming less inclined to donate to religious charities as many divert funds into proselytization and/or political agendas.

I haven't noticed proselytization happening in the secular charities. Yet they're suffering.

 

[epronovost]

It's talking about all charities, including secular charities.

That doesn't answer my question. I know it counts secular organisations my quetion was concerning Churches. Are Churches and religious organisations who do missionnary work counted as Charities? For reason I mentionned above, I don't think they should be included if they are.

 

[Cooky]

That doesn't answer my question. I know it counts secular organisations my quetion was concerning Churches. Are Churches and religious organisations who do missionnary work counted as Charities? For reason I mentionned above, I don't think they should be included if they are.

I don't know that donating to one's own church would be considered "self serving", since charitable work by churches i'm familiar with often include assisting non-Church members -with no strings attached.

...Speaking for the Catholic Church specifically, their soup kitchens are strictly based on feeding the poor, and are not associated with Christian outreach type programs. I can't speak for others though, as I just don't know.

 

[crossfire]

Gofundme cuts out the middlemen (charities.)

 

[Revoltingest]

I don't know that donating to one's own church would be considered "self serving", since charitable work by churches i'm familiar with often include assisting non-Church members -with no strings attached.

...Speaking for the Catholic Church specifically, their soup kitchens are strictly based on feeding the poor, and are not associated with Christian outreach type programs. I can't speak for others though, as I just don't know.

Of course, donating to a church also covers church expenses,
eg, maintenance, property acquisition, utilities, insurance,
salaries, supplies, snow removal, lawn care. Such things
are for the benefit of members.

 

[Shelter]

Another article to add to the discussion:
Who Gives

One of the studies it discusses did break out donations to secular vs religious organizations/charities. It found: "Finer-grain numbers from the PSID show that the faithful don’t just give to religious causes; they are also much more likely to give to secular causes than the non-religious. Among Americans who report that they “never” attend religious services, just less than half give any money at all to secular causes. People who attend services 27-52 times per year, though, give money to secular charities in two thirds of all cases."

Also, interestingly, the article says that Americans donate about seven times more than Europeans. They attribute this mainly to religion: "There are many reasons for this American distinction. Foremost is the fact that ours is the most religious nation in the industrial world. Religion motivates giving more than any other factor."

 

[Cooky]

Of course, donating to a church also covers church expenses,
eg, maintenance, property acquisition, utilities, insurance,
salaries, supplies, snow removal, lawn care. Such things
are for the benefit of members.

This is true. It typically all gets fractioned out.

I guess I would consider it self-serving and not self-serving at the same time.

 

[Shelter]

The graph about two-thirds of the way down in the Who Gives article is pretty eye opening. Several of the studies found that low-income Americans donate a higher percentage of their income than any other group except the very rich.

 

[Cooky]

Another article to add to the discussion:
Who Gives

One of the studies it discusses did break out donations to secular vs religious organizations/charities. It found: "Finer-grain numbers from the PSID show that the faithful don’t just give to religious causes; they are also much more likely to give to secular causes than the non-religious. Among Americans who report that they “never” attend religious services, just less than half give any money at all to secular causes. People who attend services 27-52 times per year, though, give money to secular charities in two thirds of all cases."

Also, interestingly, the article says that Americans donate about seven times more than Europeans. They attribute this mainly to religion: "There are many reasons for this American distinction. Foremost is the fact that ours is the most religious nation in the industrial world. Religion motivates giving more than any other factor."

Thanks. This was the point I really wanted to get across and uncover when creating the thread.

 

[epronovost]

Also, interestingly, the article says that Americans donate about seven times more than Europeans. They attribute this mainly to religion: "There are many reasons for this American distinction. Foremost is the fact that ours is the most religious nation in the industrial world. Religion motivates giving more than any other factor."

The presence of a stronger social safety net in European countries might also be a cause. A lot of charities provide food and shelter for poorer people, medical care, education, etc. A country with a stronger social net doesn't require as much charitable help as the State assumes this responsability and levy taxes for that purpose. Americans, to their credit, do have a strong and longstanding tradition of philanthropy.

PS: good point for the person who mentionned "go fund me".

 

[epronovost]

I know it's Canadian stats, but I think it's a pertinent source.

Charitable giving by Canadians

It does offer some explanation on why religiously observant people donate more: they are sollicited more often and are part of a social network that rewards such behavior (or shame lack of generosity). It's also interesting to note that women donate more often and about as much money as men despite earning significantly less probably for the same reason religious people give more often to charity.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Gofundme cuts out the middlemen (charities.)

Gofundme is a middleman.

 

[Father Heathen]

Several of the studies found that low-income Americans donate a higher percentage of their income.

Probably because it's easier for them to relate to and empathize with struggle and hardship.