American Jewish Philanthropy 2022: Giving to Religious and Secular Causes in the U.S. and to Israel Report

Abstract

This report examines American Jewish giving and volunteering in 2022, with a strong emphasis on religious giving and giving to Israel-focused organizations. The analyses that make up the findings of the report are based on a survey developed for this study which was conducted by SSRS in March 2023. The survey and these analyses are enhanced by prior studies of Jewish philanthropy.

The subsequent analysis explores how certain factors—household income and wealth, marital status, educational attainment, children living at home, and age—influence philanthropy as demonstrated by prior research (Bekkers & Wiepking, 2011; Rooney et al., 2018; Wiepking & Bekkers, 2012) and how those effects differ as compared to non-Jewish households.

This report also contributes to the body of philanthropic research by examining factors that are specific to Jewish philanthropy, including religiosity, engagement in and affinity for the Jewish faith, affiliation with different Jewish denominations, Jewish ethnic backgrounds, and concerns toward and experiences with antisemitism. It delves into motivations for giving and provides detailed information about the largest gifts given by Jewish households. In addition to its contribution related to giving to Israel-focused organizations, the report also details the allocation of gifts to specific types of organizations or causes.