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This book explores the idea that religious observance instills moral values and fosters a sense of community that promotes generosity. Religious philanthropy has, for many years, been the single, largest cause to which Americans contribute. Studies show that individuals who donate to religious congregations are also more charitable to secular organizations. These studies are complemented by research that asserts that religiously observant individuals are also more prominent in volunteerism. Existing literature indicates that religion and income are the two most significant variables influencing generosity. Using the 2005 Center on Philanthropy Panel Study collected by the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) a unique dataset that allows analysis of multiple variables affecting charitable giving and volunteerism I test the hypothesis that religious observance, estimated by proxy of the frequency of religious attendance, is a critical factor motivating philanthropy to secular and religious causes. The regressions performed replicated the results of current literature.

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Micah Friedland is a recent returner to Judaism after exploring various religions and spiritual faiths (note: he does not view Judaism as a religion). He is currently working in finance in Chicago. At the time of his research, Micah was a senior at Northwestern University studying Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics.

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