The Relationship Between Religious Involvement and Charitable Behavior
A strong relationship exists between religious involvement and the total level of giving and volunteering. The percentage of total respondents giving to religion declined from 48% in 1995 to 45% in 1998. However, the average donation to religion by contributing households increased in current dollars from $868 in 1995 to $1,002 in 1998.

The number of respondents who reported attendance at religious services sometime during the year changed little between 1995 and 1998. In 1998, 76% of respondents reported they participated in religious services while in 1995 the comparable figure was 77%. Little variation occurred in these rates of attendance throughout the survey series. There has been a slight decline in the proportion of the population reporting household contributions in this group since 1995 but average contributions have increased slightly. Of those attending services weekly, 84% made household contributions (compared to 83% in 1995). Since 1995 there has been an 8 percentage point increase among those who reported volunteering (68% to 76%).