America Gives: A Survey of Americans’ Generosity After September 11

Abstract

This paper describes a telephone survey (called America Gives) which asked 1,304 randomly-selected adults about their philanthropic behavior (giving of time and treasure) after the events of September 11, 2001. The questions were part of a larger national study (n = 4,200) on giving and volunteering that was being conducted at the time of the September 11 attacks. This paper provides a brief description of the study that was being conducted at the time of the terrorist attacks, the methodological considerations resulting from the immediate philanthropic response to the September 11 events, and steps that were taken to adapt the study to the changing national conditions. Next we provide descriptive results from the survey, along with multivariate analyses of the determinants of giving and volunteering in this unique situation. Finally, we provide some caveats for researchers who may want to assess household giving and volunteering, and discuss implications for nonprofit managers and policy makers.