The Church has released a new infographic regarding the volunteerism and charitable donations of its members. The information is pulled from a study conducted by University of Pennsylvania professor Ram Cnaan and fellow researchers Van Evans and Daniel W. Curtis jointly published the study, titled “Called to Serve: The Prosocial Behavior of Active Latter-day Saints.”
It likely won’t come as a surprise to most church members that based on their findings, the authors concluded that active Latter-day Saints “volunteer and donate significantly more than the average American and are even more generous in time and money than the upper quintile of religious people in America.”
According to the study the average American volunteers approximate 48 hours per year (4 hours per month) to charitable causes, while Church members volunteer 427.9 hours annually (35.6 hours per month). Charitable hours volunteered included time spent teaching Sunday School, cleaning the chapel, and serving in one’s Church calling. Yet, as the study also points out that active Church members also dedicate 151.9 hours annually to serving in the Church’s social and community initiatives, such as Boy Scouts of America or the Church’s worldwide welfare and humanitarian aid programs. Additionally, it was found that individual members give an additional 34 hours annually to other social causes unrelated to the Church.
Also, not surprisingly, LDS Church members donate more to charitable causes each year compared to non-LDS individuals. Not only do Church members pay more when tithing is included, but an active Latter-day Saint donates an average of $ 1,171 to non-Church related charitable causes per year.
