Why Mormons Make Good Neighbors

Charitable Giving

The pattern of volunteerism is repeated in charitable giving. According to the University of Pennsylvania study, even if one excludes the 10 percent biblical tithe that members donate to the Church, their charitable giving still exceeds the national average.[50] Corroborating this study, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University released a report showing Mormons atop all groups for the percentage of annual charitable giving—both for the amount donated and for the percentage of their income given (see table below).[51]

Giving as a Share of Income by Religious Affiliation
	% Who give	Mean giving ($)	Family income ($)	Total giving as % of income	Religious giving ($)	Religious giving as % all giving
Latter-day Saints	93.7	4,016	64,334	6.24	3,574	89.0
Pentecostal/ASG	64.4	1,405	40,038	3.51	1,172	83.4
Other Protestant	80. 2	2,495	67,028	3.72	1,723	69.1
Baptist	64.4	1,402	53,534	2.62	1,078	76.9
Lutheran	77.4	1,615	67,954	2.38	1,004	62.1
Greek/Russian/Eastern Orthodox	70.7	1,091	50,577	2.16	677	62.1
Jewish	88.3	3,822	123,305	3.10	1,552	40.6
Methodist	73.3	1,257	64,140	1.96	790	62.9
Episcopalian	80.4	2,006	85,833	2.34	1,044	52.0
Presbyterian	81.9	1,461	69,147	2.11	827	56.6
Catholic	73.7	1,122	75,861	1.48	599	49.8
Muslim/Buddhist	69.9	1,248	74,245	1.68	450	36.1
Jehovah's Witness	64.8	472	35,228	1.34	193	40.9
None	56.0	792	71,556	1.11	191	24.1
Source: Patrick Rooney, "Dispelling Beliefs about Giving to Religious Institutions in the United States," in Religious Giving: For Love of God (Indiana University Press, 2010).

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According to this study, nearly 94 percent of all Mormon households gave an average of $4,016 annually, representing 6.24 percent of their yearly income—the highest of all the groups surveyed and five times the amount of those with no religious affiliation.

Much of this charitable giving goes toward supporting the Church's extensive welfare and humanitarian aid programs. Church welfare represents a source of help primarily for Latter-day Saints. Writing in the Wall Street Journal about this welfare program, Naomi Schaefer Riley observed that it provides "the kind of safety net that government can never hope to create."[52]

She further noted that the Church's system "lets almost no one fall through the cracks while at the same time ensuring that its beneficiaries don't become lifelong dependents."[53] Latter-day Saints who require assistance to meet the basic needs of life go to their bishop and ask for aid. The bishop assesses their needs and then provides food and clothing, as well as cash for housing and other necessities. The bishop seeks to help these individuals work for what they receive and to find ways of getting them back on their feet. That may include coaching from the Church's employment centers or counseling from its social services centers. Typically, people depend on the food assistance for an average of three to six months before they are back to being self-sufficient.