| | The United States is “a land of charity,” says Arthur Brooks, an expert on philanthropy and a professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, who sees charitable giving and volunteerism as the signal characteristic of Americans. Americans increased their charitable donations significantly in 2006 to more than $295 billion -- a record, according to a study released June 25 by the Giving USA Foundation, which reports on charitable contributions. The overwhelming majority of this money was donated by individuals, not corporations or foundations, according to the chairman of Giving USA, Richard Jolly. Donations from individuals, including bequests, accounted for 83.3 percent of total giving last year, or $245.8 billion, he told USINFO.<ref>http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/June/200706261522251CJsamohT0.8012354.html</ref> | | The United States is “a land of charity,” says Arthur Brooks, an expert on philanthropy and a professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, who sees charitable giving and volunteerism as the signal characteristic of Americans. Americans increased their charitable donations significantly in 2006 to more than $295 billion -- a record, according to a study released June 25 by the Giving USA Foundation, which reports on charitable contributions. The overwhelming majority of this money was donated by individuals, not corporations or foundations, according to the chairman of Giving USA, Richard Jolly. Donations from individuals, including bequests, accounted for 83.3 percent of total giving last year, or $245.8 billion, he told USINFO.<ref>http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/June/200706261522251CJsamohT0.8012354.html</ref> |
| − | Higher faith-based giving in the US explains 60% of the difference in proportion of GDP given to charity in the US and the UK <ref>International Comparisons of Charitable Giving (November 2006) Briefing Paper, [https://www.cafonline.org/ Charities Aid Foundation] </ref>. | + | Higher faith-based giving in the US explains 60% of the difference in proportion of GDP given to charity in the US and the UK. Religion giving accounts for a third of US charity donations, compared to 13% in the UK. <ref>International Comparisons of Charitable Giving (November 2006) Briefing Paper, [https://www.cafonline.org/ Charities Aid Foundation] </ref>. |