The purpose of the project is to investigate the following questions: How does the charitable giving of Americans fare under the stress of an economic downturn? Are there different patterns in charitable giving to religious and non-religious organizations? Does the donor’s religiosity and/or socio-economic status alter the patterns of giving? From 2007-2009, the United States experienced the largest financial downturn since 1960, which provides an unparalleled opportunity to answer these questions. This study will use the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which has detailed information on giving, volunteering, and religious participation from 2000 to the present to carry out this research.
