Conservative Voters Are More Liberal With Charity

Households that describe themselves as conservative tend to give more money to charities than moderate and liberal households, according to a new survey.

In a survey of 3,300 households that donated money to charity in the past 12 months, the company Campbell Rinker, in Valencia, Calif., asked respondents about their political ideology.

Of those surveyed, those who live in conservative households donated an average of $3,255 to charities outside of places of worship during the past year. By comparison, moderate households donated $2,926 and liberal households donated $1,879.

Conservatives also give significantly more money to their place of worship than liberals and moderates.

The survey found conservatives gave, on average, $1,841 to their places of worship during the past year — compared with $1,115 for moderates and $499 for liberals.

But while conservatives give more than their peers, they are less likely to spread the word to others about their giving experiences.

Among liberal donors, 84 percent said they had recommended a charity to friends, family, or colleagues. That compares with 75 percent of moderates and 59 percent of conservatives.

(To read more about research on giving differences between liberals and conservatives, see A Political Divide, an article from The Chronicle’s archive.)