Faith-based Foreign Aid - Current Trends

Current Trends

While popularly held beliefs—and characterizations by US government officials—purport that many churches/temples/synagogues/mosques/etc. and faith-based organizations give money internationally, studies and news reports found that the overwhelming majority of religious-based international aid is Christian. There are many religious, historical and political reasons that explain why Christians more than Jews, Muslims and other groups, are more active in international development, charitable giving and participation. While Christian giving to places like Africa grew during the 20th century, Jews in donor countries focused their charitable giving and attention to the development of Israel and Soviet Jewry. Muslim organizations have long supported aid to other Muslim countries, but only recently are both religious ramping up efforts into the non-Muslim, developing world.

Some religions themselves are known to contribute more money to international efforts than others. Seven out of the top ten nations contributing dollars per $100.00 of Gross Domestic Product are predominantly Roman Catholic. Some examples of these top-givers are Austria ($0.20), France ($0.31), Luxembourg ($0.54) and the Netherlands ($0.69).

Because those giving to faith-based foreign aid often wish to contribute money to religious institutions based on beliefs similar to their own, it is not surprising that the countries that receive the most aid have the same religious makeup as those that contribute money. The small nation of East Timor has a history of civil unrest and economic upheaval. Its economy is entirely dependent on foreign aid, receiving $594.60 for every $100.00 of its own GDP. East Timor is also 90% Roman Catholic, the same religion contributing the most money worldwide today.

Roman Catholicism is not the only religion that gives financial support to its poorer sister organizations. International charity is common among many Islamic mosques and organizations. The Gaza Strip is also an aid-dependent nation, receiving $114.17 dollars of foreign aid for every $100.00 of GDP. While it is true that much of the foreign aid paid to Islamic, middle-eastern countries is by governments hoping to expand oil drilling, Muslims give a significant amount to mosques and groups in need these lower income societies. Muslim charity does not only come from predominantly Muslim nations; American Muslim Charities also contribute all over the Islamic world, but their giving declined by 40% after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The decline in giving came as a result of the government advising donors to heavily scrutinize their charities as part of the U.S.’s suggested “anti-terrorist financing procedures.”