wfn.org | June 26-7 Alert - Independent Sector, National Council of Churches

["Carol Fouke" <carolf@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
E-mail: news@ncccusa.org; Web: www.ncccusa.org
Contacts follow.

WHO:
--The Honorable Harris Wofford, past president of the Corporation for
National and Community Service; and chair of America's Promise,
--Reverend Wilson Goode, former Mayor of Philadelphia and director of
Public/Private Ventures,
--Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth,
--Sara E. Melindez, president and CEO of Independent Sector,
--Robert Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches, and
--Eileen Lindner, editor of the Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches,
the National Council of Churches
--Chris Toppe, senior research analyst of Independent Sector

WHAT:
Release of a new report, Faith and Philanthropy: The Connection Between
Charitable Behavior and Giving to Religion, by Independent Sector

WHEN:
Thursday, June 27, 2002 - 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast; 9:30 a.m. - 11:30
a.m. Briefing

WHERE:
Boardroom of Carnegie Corporation of New York, 437 Madison Avenue, between
49th and 50th Streets, New York City

CONTACTS:
Carla Bundy or Patricia Nash at Independent Sector, 202-467-6100;
Pat Pattillo or Carol Fouke at the National Council of Churches,
212-870-2227

___________________________________________________

(Washington, D.C.) - Independent Sector and the National Council of Churches
will release new information detailing the connection between giving to
religious congregations and its influence on giving and volunteering to
secular organizations. Faith and Philanthropy: The Connection Between
Charitable Behavior and Giving to Religion measures and compares the
generosity of givers to religion to those who contribute time and money to
secular causes.

The impact of faith-based giving and volunteering is compelling. Fifty
percent (50%) of all households give to both religious congregations and
secular organizations but their gifts account for eighty-one percent (81%)
of all charitable donations. Eight point six percent (8.6%) of all
volunteers who give time to both religious congregations and secular
organizations account for thirty percent (30%) of all volunteering hours.

Harris Wofford, Wilson Goode and other experts on philanthropy and religious
congregations will investigate the implications of the findings.
Representatives from various nonprofits will illustrate how they reach out
to these highly motivated givers.

A preview press-conference call will give an overview of this report on
Wednesday, June 26. For more information on the conference call or event,
please contact Carla Bundy or Patricia Nash at Independent Sector.

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