Religion is biggest driver of philanthropy in India, finds study

livemint.com:

₹27,000 crore during the one-year period, up 14% from the previous year, the report said. As many as 91% of the households surveyed during the study made a monetary donation, up from 87% in the previous year. The study was done in collaboration with the Worldpanel Division of Kantar’s households panel across different socio-economic groups.

The survey reached out to nearly 81,000 households across rural and urban areas in 18 states. Over 90% of the monetary donations were made through currency notes. While religious organizations received the largest share of donations by value, it was mainly led by high volumes.

The average donation made by a household for this cause was just ₹882 during the year, nearly half the average giveaways to friends and family. The donations made to loved ones were the biggest, at ₹1,725. ‘Persons engaged in beggary’ received just ₹251 per household.

Donations to religious organizations increased in both rural and urban areas from the previous year. Rural households were more likely to donate to religious entities as well as beggars, the top two recipient groups for donations. Households in the country’s southern and western states were the least likely to give beggars money.

Men (65%) were more likely than women (54%) to donate to religious organizations and ‘family and friends'. But women were more likely to donate to non-religious organizations, and ‘persons engaged in beggary’. Religious beliefs and family traditions were the top motivations for donations to religious entities and beggars.

The desire to help someone in financial distress was the top reason for giving money to loved ones. Donations to household staff were driven the most by festivals. When asked where they would like to