By David P. King, Ph.D., Karen Lake Buttrey Director In the most challenging of years, Americans persevered in their propensity to give. With the release of the annual Giving USA 2021 report, our research colleagues within the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy found that total charitable giving increased 5.1 percent in 2020. What do these… Read more »
In 2018, giving to religion by individuals, corporations, and foundations declined, decreasing by 1.5 percent (3.9 percent when adjusted for inflation) to $124.52 billion, or 29 percent of total charitable contributions. While concern has been raised that declining donations to religious congregations and a decrease in religiosity in the U.S. could lead to fewer charitable… Read more »
Join us in welcoming one of our newest staff members! Chris Munn, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow with Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, analyzing data from the National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices (NSCEP). From Texas, Munn originally wanted to work in ministry. During his undergraduate career, he decided to switch his major… Read more »
After earning a Ph.D. in Ecclesiastical History in Scotland and serving as a pastor in Chicago, Dr. William Enright came to Indianapolis to become the senior pastor at Second Presbyterian Church. He served there for over 23 years when, in the midst of his retirement transition plan in 2004, an offer came to his… Read more »
By Dr. William Enright Originally published in the Indy Star Why are people of faith among the most generous charitable givers in the world? Historian James Hudnut-Beumler posed a similar question: Why do religious people pay through the institutions they support to be in relation to God? To illustrate the joy of charitable giving and… Read more »