In 2016, Australians donated $11.2 billion to charities and non-profit organisations with a mean of $764 and median of $200 per donor (McGregor-Lowndes et al. 2017). Our understanding of this massive financial contribution is limited, especially in relation to religion.

This report integrates hard empirical data from authoritative international and domestic sources to provide insights into volunteerism and charitable (monetary) giving, to quantify and qualify these behaviours in respect of religion and religiosity. In addition, it examines the charitability of attitudes toward Australian government help for First Nations people and for those in need overseas.

It assesses the data in relation to the widely-held belief that religious Australians are more prosocial than their non-religious cousins regarding volunteerism and charitable donation. At minimum, this requires (a) establishing that the religious indeed do volunteer and donate more, and (b) that the surpluses are driven by faith and not by other factors. The nature of the volunteering and donating is also important.