‘Religion or faith will make or break a decision to give or not give’

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Religion, or faith, can shape not only what charities donors give to, but how much.

Here, three experts who work as philanthropic counsellors and consultants discuss how a strong sense of spirituality can be a powerful influence on charitable decision making, from whether to give publicly or anonymously, to how they align giving with their hierarchy of values.

Tom Berekoff, president and founder of TPB Strategic Counsel Ltd.

“In general terms, one’s religion and more personally, how one enacts their faith is fundamental to their giving practice. In general, people of faith give as an expression of gratitude for all they have been entrusted. Most people see themselves as ‘stewards’ of whatever wealth they hold, as opposed to ‘owners.’

This perspective helps the individual to focus on the value of their giving. More directly, this means that there is thoughtfulness and reflection in the decision to accept the responsibility to give. In turn, to the beneficiary organization, there is also a heightened responsibility to be effective in their use of the resources provided, and to help validate the donor’s decision to give by reporting on the ‘impact, outcomes, and change’ which the gift produces.

The practice of generosity is inherently tied to one’s faith commitment. It is an expression of their faith, which deepens their faith commitment. This is true for many faith traditions, where the practice of giving is a fulfilment of one’s faith journey and speaks directly to the focus these traditions place on caring for humankind. It is noteworthy that for people of faith, their giving encompasses their entire being … including their time, talents, and treasures (this is the Christian perspective, [but] other faith traditions also encourage a ‘giving lifestyle’).

Faith traditions often guide givers to do so unconditionally, without drawing attention to themselves, and not to be ‘entitled’ to power, control, or recognition for one’s personal gain. That said, when people of faith give, there is opportunity to encourage others through their giving. In such circumstances, the donor’s support raises the public trust and confidence in the charity, and it proposes actions to assist beneficiaries in need.

It is worthwhile to consider that giving comes at a cost, one that is understood and embraced, and the act itself produces joy. For those who hold to the understanding that their lives are best lived as stewards, they view resources as precious yet abundant rather than with a scarcity mindset, as the latter influences the expectations (and entitlement) the donor might otherwise place on giving.”

Sharilyn Hale, president of Watermark Philanthropic Counsel

“Generosity and caring for others is central in most faith traditions and charitable giving is a way to express these values.

Global giving research tells us that those who participate in faith communities (of any tradition) donate more in both amount and frequency than those who do not. This raises a broader issue for charities in Canada as regular participation in faith communities has been on the decline.

Decisions about naming can be deeply personal for philanthropists. Spiritual values may lead some donors to choose more modest forms of recognition for their giving. The spiritual beliefs of other donors might spur them to publicly model giving and sharing or desire for their gift to highlight a critical issue.

Most religious traditions invite adherents to reflect on the underlaying intentions of their actions. Giving purely for public recognition may not be viewed as higher level giving from a spiritual perspective but may still bring great benefit to a community or cause.”

Bri Trypuc, principal advisor and founder, Trypuc Philanthropic Office

“People give for many reasons. At the end of the day, the uniting goal and common element is to find meaning or feel their contributions are meaningful.

In order to have meaning, philanthropists who understand their motivation(s) and charitably align their intentions with their expectations feel satisfaction and personal fulfillment. When there’s misalignment, feelings of dissatisfaction arise, or [become a] continual search for meaningful contributions.

Why this is important: At the root, values drive philanthropy. These values frame key motivations and determinants for giving.

We identify nine key motivators in giving (Family, Legacy, Experience, Faith, Values, Heritage, Analysis, Tax/Finance, Recognition).

We run through an exercise with our clients where they self-reflect and weight these by level of importance to them and what motivates their decisions, particularly charitable giving decisions. The majority of clients will have any number as being important, however one or two of being utmost important to influence their giving decisions.

If faith is in the top motivator to that individual, odds are, it will reign supreme over other reasons of importance, that are less motivating. This is where we identify with high likelihood that religion or faith will make or break a decision to give or not give. If there’s misalignment to their religious beliefs, the choice to give will in all likelihood be a full stop, hard ‘No.’ Where a philanthropist places faith on a lower motivator level of importance, it may be considered but not necessary in their decision making.

A devout Christian philanthropist may, for example, negative screen their investments to remove defense or weaponry manufacturing from their portfolio or steer away from harm reduction or safe injection sites as unethical to their beliefs.

Muslim donors who prioritize religion as their key motivator in giving who follow the Quran’s requirement to give a portion of their wealth as zakat to charitable causes may limit or enhance their gift when there’s alignment. There are specific causes and projects (or charity mandates) that meet the Quran’s requirements. If the major gift ask does not fit these requirements, it is likely to be disregarded or not fulfilled by this particular philanthropist due to a misalignment of their key motivator and values.

Similarly, a devout Catholic philanthropist may support funding and alignment of one hospital unit or health program over another as a result of their values alignment and personal preference for medical procedures allowable (for instance, abortion).

Faith-based organizations often function as catalysts for social change. Many organizations that started from a specific religious affinity, have evolved toward being non-denominational in the clients they serve, placing mission and human benefit over religious affiliation as their primary motivator and mandate of charitable activity. Of utmost importance is the alignment of common interests for mutual benefit, as it will be the most impactful method toward achieving meaningful change.”

Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

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