INDIANAPOLIS - Americans who gave to the September 11 th relief efforts gave an average of nearly $134 and those who volunteered gave an average of almost 17 hours, according to a new survey released today by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy.
The America Gives survey found that more than 74 percent of those surveyed responded to the tragedy with some form of charitable behavior. Of those people who contributed money, donated food, clothing or blood, or volunteered to help the victims, 51.6 percent participated in one of these activities, 19.8 percent participated in two, and 3 percent participated in three.
"This survey reinforces what we know about Americans' generosity in previous times of tragedy," said Eugene R. Tempel, CFRE, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "Americans respond with their hearts in substantial ways during times of crisis by giving their money and their time. We appreciate AFP's support for research that will help strengthen the understanding of giving."
The post-tragedy survey results, which were funded by AFP and the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy, are part of a larger study on giving in America that the Center was conducting at the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
"We are pleased to be able to partner with the Center on this study, as we felt it was critical to demonstrate how important giving and volunteerism are to our country, especially over the past three months," said AFP President & CEO Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE. "These results clearly show that the American tradition of philanthropy that began with our Founding Fathers is alive and well in the 21 st century."
The results indicate that 65.6 percent of those surveyed said they gave some amount of money. Among those who gave, the average gift was $133.72. The majority(74 percent)of gifts reported were $100 or less. When those who did not give are included, the average gift among all survey respondents drops to $85.41.
The survey also showed that 27.2 percent of respondents indicated they made donations of clothing, blood or food instead of or in addition to giving money to the relief effort. In addition, 8.3 percent of those surveyed indicated they contributed their time to help victims of the tragedy.
Income was the single most important factor in determining whether and how much a household contributed, according to the study. Households with annual incomes between $40,000 and $80,000 gave $45.23 more on average than households with incomes below $40,000. Households with an income above $80,000 gave an average of $107.95 more than those with incomes below $40,000.
The America Gives findings on participation in September 11 relief activities are consistent with findings from other research organizations. The National Opinion Research Center found that nearly half (49 percent) of its survey respondents contributed to charities, 24 percent donated or tried to donate blood, and 8 percent did volunteer work. I NDEPENDENT S ECTOR also released a survey recently showing that more than 70 percent of Americans reported charitable involvement in some way.
Walker Information, an Indianapolis-based research firm, conducted the random telephone survey of 1,304 adults from late October to late November 2001.
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is the largest and most comprehensive academic center dedicated to research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit the Center's Web site at www.philanthropy.iupui.edu .
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) represents 25,000 members in 163 chapters throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, working to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs. The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy is the fundraising and philanthropic arm of AFP. For more information, go to AFP's Web site at www.afpnet.org .
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