Conventional Wisdom Takes a Hit

Among women who are not religiously affiliated, younger women are donating more than twice as much to charity as  are older non-religious women. That’s one of a number of surprising finding from a study released recently by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

As the number of people who tick the “none of the above” box on the question of religious choice soars, this is encouraging – if somewhat confusing — news for charities. Conventional wisdom and a boatload of prior research has held that religious engagement and giving have gone hand in hand. This study suggests that correlation may be breaking down.

If you have a subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, there’s a good overview here.