U.S. religious giving to poor nations is at record levels, study finds

Presbyterian News Service: U.S. religious giving to poor nations is at record levels, study finds

OXFORD, OH — Religious groups in the United States sent a record amount of $8.8 billion in relief and development money to poorer countries in 2006, according to the first national survey of U.S. religious giving to developing nations.

The study was recently released by the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society and the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Prosperity. It is the first national random sample of U.S. religious giving to the developing world and was part of a comprehensive congregational research project supported by the John Templeton Foundation. …

…A 2005 study conducted by the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Prosperity reported religious giving at $5.4 billion for that year. …

…More than 50 percent of the congregations gave an average of $10,500 to U.S.-based organizations that are involved in relief and development efforts and more than 30 percent made donations directly to programs in developing countries.

More than 30 percent of the congregations conducted short-term mission or service trips. The survey excluded financial support for evangelism and focused strictly on money donated for medicine, books, school supplies or other developmental aid.

According to the study, Catholic parishes tended to work with U.S.-based aid agencies, but Protestant denominations, and particularly those seen as more politically conservative organizations, were more likely to work directly with overseas programs. …