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Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

September 20, 2010

Religious motivation key to Charitable giving

MARK PATTISON
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON - Canada ranked tied for third overall in a new index of giving formulated by CAFAmerica, the U.S. arm of a British-based charity clearinghouse known as the Charities Aid Foundation.

Australia and New Zealand tied for first, with United States tied with Switzerland for fifth.

Three gauges were used to determine a country's ranking: one's willingness to give to a charitable organization, the willingness to volunteer, and whether one had helped a stranger in the previous month.

Aussies have big heart - Caritas CEO

ANTHONY BARICH
CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - Australia's spot on the top of the list of the world's most generous donor countries reflects its citizens' "very big hearts," said the head of the nation's Catholic aid agency, Caritas.

The survey of 153 countries compiled by the British-based Charities Aid Foundation found 70 per cent of Australians had given money to a charity.

Jack de Groot, chief executive officer of Caritas Australia, said Australians "see the fundamental need of people in poverty throughout the world. Even through the time of the global financial crisis, Australians were still generous."


CAFAmerica CEO Susan Saxon-Harrold, during a Sept. 8 conference call with reporters, noted Americans' willingness to give to religious-oriented organizations.

"There is obviously a strong motivation for religious and faith-based charitable giving," she added, "principally due to the considerable number of Americans who have a strong faith - and I think that's reflected in their charitable giving."

The index also revealed that the older a person is, the more likely he or she was to give to charity.

Saxon-Harrold said, "The age at which one volunteers is a strong indicator of future giving. If children are exposed to caring and sharing at an early age," they will be more likely themselves to give as they get older."

Janet Boyd, president of CAFAmerica, noted how some countries' policies actually frown on charitable giving, citing China and Russia in particular.

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