Nearly Half the Money That Churches Receive Goes to Charity, Study Says

Religious congregations devote nearly half the money they receive to charitable use, surpassing foundations and corporations as sources of giving, according to a study released this week in Washington.

The study, “From Belief to Commitment,” purports to be the first scientific survey of the contributions of money and time by church members. Its sponsor, Independent Sector, said the study dispels the notion that churches are more concerned with the hereafter than with doing good works on Earth.

Independent Sector, a nonprofit group representing 650 corporate foundations and voluntary organizations, said $19.1 billion of the $41.4 billion contributed in 1986 to congregations “was used in ways that express religious conviction about service to others.”

In addition, it said, volunteer activities by church congregations, including clergy, were valued in the study at $13.1 billion.

According to a survey by the Gallup Organization, nearly nine in 10 of the nation’s 296,000 congregations had one or more programs in human services and welfare, with a heavy focus on family counseling activities. Seventy percent were involved in overseas charitable activities, and 56% were involved in institutional care such as hospitals, nursing homes or hospices.