Religious and secular giving, by race and ethnicity

PATTERNS OF GIVING and volunteering by different racial and ethnic groups have been subjected to increasingly sophisticated scrutiny of late. Surveys (for example, Hodgkinson and Weitzman, 1996) suggest that African American and Hispanic families are less likely to make charitable donations or volunteer and make smaller average donations (or volunteer fewer hours) than white and Anglo families. However, the interpretation of these results is far from clear for at least four reasons. First, differences in giving and volunteering may result from differences in income, education, and other factors rather than race or ethnicity. Second, differences may reflect differing selective response rates. Those who are less generous may not admit this to the interviewer, and the willingness to answer questions may differ across racial or ethnic groups. Third, differences may reflect patterns of charitable solicitation or volunteer recruitment rather than differences in underlying generosity. Finally, differences in reported giving and volunteering may reflect