Young Men Most Generous to Charities - Study

Despite major worldwide crises, most Americans who typically donate to charities do not plan to increase the amount they give over the holiday period, according to a new survey.

According to the US World Vision’s Holiday Giving Survey, which surveyed over 2,000 American adults found that major events like the Ebola virus outbreak and conflicts in Syria, Iraq and South Sudan have not effected how much people will give to charity.

The only exception, the survey found, was young men aged 18 to 34-years-old, with 37 per cent saying they would increase the amount they normally donate.

The survey showed millennial men are seven times as likely as men aged 44 to 64-years-old (5 per cent) to give more due to what is happening in the world right now, five times as likely as men age 65 or older (7 per cent) and twice as likely as men age 35 to 44-years-old (17 per cent).

World Vision’s Gift Catalogue Director, Carrie Swanson, said this was the second year in a row that the survey had shown millennial men stood out as a generous generation and gender.

According to the 2013 survey, 56 per cent of men aged 18-34-years-old said they had given a charitable gift in their lifetime, versus 36 per cent of older men (ages 35 and above) and 37 per cent of young females in the same age group.

“They are often accused of being entitled, needy and narcissistic, but these studies seem to show millennials are misunderstood and might be more aptly labeled the giving generation,” Swanson said.

“At World Vision we see millennials as a strong force to create positive change.

“Communication isn’t a barrier for this generation. With one click they see global problems right before their eyes, which might be why they are more inclined to change the world instead of just their communities.”

The survey also found:

• Parents with children in their household are twice as likely to increase their holiday charitable giving this year due to current global issues, as compared to adults who don’t have children at home (15 per cent versus 7 per cent).

• While 20 per cent of US adults indicate that their biggest dream this holiday season will be improved finances, most will maintain their amount of holiday charitable giving despite the current increase in global crises (57 per cent)

• For Americans of all ages, giving financially is the most popular way they support charities they like (64 per cent).

• Eight times more U.S. adults make a financial donation to support a charity they like (64 per cent) than would participate in a social media challenge to support them (8 per cent).

The World Vision Holiday Giving Survey is in its seventh year and was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll from October 9 to 13, 2014 among more than 2000 adults ages 18 and older.