Image by Monica Ramos, via the NYT

“It used to be that many people gave to their particular house of worship to get a prominent pew or extra blessings. Or because their grandparents and parents had always attended that church or synagogue or mosque.

“That is changing. Religious institutions are still the single biggest recipients of overall charity donations, according to the 2015 survey by the Giving USA Foundation…But that is down from about 50 percent since 1990.”

Yup, this reflects the overall decline in the number of people who identify with a religious group. “But it’s also true that ‘younger people give differently,’ said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. ‘It’s about expressing their commitment to core values and their obligation to sustain those in need. In prior generations, giving to Jewish organizations was thought of as automatic. Now the younger generation doesn’t feel constrained by doing what their parents or grandparents did.’”
Article: Donations to Religious Institutions Fall as Values Change