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Charitable Giving Expenditures and the Faith Factor

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  • Vince E. Showers
  • Linda S. Showers
  • Jeri M. Beggs
  • James E. Cox, Jr

Abstract

Using a permanent income hypothesis approach and an income-giving status interaction effect, a double hurdle model provides evidence of significant differences from the impact of household income and various household characteristics on both a household's likelihood of giving and its level of giving to religion, charity, education, others outside the household, and politics. An analysis of resulting income elasticity estimates revealed that households consider religious giving a necessity good at all levels of income, while other categories of giving are generally found to be luxury goods. Further, those who gave to religion were found to give more to education and charity then those not giving to religion, and higher education households were more likely to give to religion than households with less education. This analysis suggests that there may be more to religious giving behavior than has been assumed in prior studies and underscores the need for further research into the motivation for religious giving. Specifically, these findings point to an enduring, internal motivation for giving rather than an external, “What do I get for what I give,” motive.

Suggested Citation

  • Vince E. Showers & Linda S. Showers & Jeri M. Beggs & James E. Cox, Jr, 2011. "Charitable Giving Expenditures and the Faith Factor," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 152-186, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:70:y:2011:i:1:p:152-186
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1536-7150.2010.00767.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan Oxley, 2020. "Examining Donor Preference for Charity Religious Affiliation," Working Papers wp2020_01_01, Department of Economics, Florida State University.
    2. Phanindra V. Wunnava & Albert A. Okunade, 2013. "Do Business Executives Give More to Their Alma Mater? Longitudinal Evidence from a Large University," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(3), pages 761-778, July.
    3. Helms, Sara E. & Thornton, Jeremy P., 2012. "The influence of religiosity on charitable behavior: A COPPS investigation," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 373-383.
    4. Matthias Tietz & Simon Parker, 2014. "Charitable donations by the self-employed," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 899-916, December.
    5. Rama, Ali & Jiang, Chunxia & Johan, Sofia & Liu, Hong & Mai, Yong, 2022. "Religious and social narratives and crowdfunding success," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

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