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Religious charities

CHARITY IS INTRINSIC to all the major beliefs as well as some of the smaller ones. Click for overviews:

Why reserve funds can be high
Why reserve funds can be high
Religious charities work very differently to secular ones. Many have been around for a long time and have built up vast reserves, the interest from which provides most of the income.

Also many of them have expensive property to maintain or buy, and they tend to save up accordingly. For example, over half the historic buildings listed by English Heritage are churches.

But also - for a variety of complicated accounting reasons - some of them include the value of their buildings as part of their reserves (to be precise, their "Unrestricted funds"). And some don't.

For these reasons you may want to ignore the "Reserves would last" box in the charity profiles.

Who is being helped?
Who is being helped?
Care-based charities: Some religious charities care only for members of their faith, while others make it clear that they will help everyone. If you have a preference, make sure you are clear about the charity's position.

Evangelism-based charities: a number of religious charities focus on converting people with no, or different, religious beliefs. Again, you may want to clarify a charity's position in this area before offering support.
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   Interfaith (uniting diverse faiths)
 
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   Humanism (the non-religious belief system)
 
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 Our religious charity listings
 
 
     

Christianity

In Christian theology, charity is the ultimate perfection of the human spirit, glorifying and reflecting God. The Church of England suggests that 5 per cent of a Christian's income should be channelled through the local church, although some Christians give a tithe (10 per cent) or more. The destination of this money varies: Christian charities can be local churches and social initiatives, or much larger international missionary and aid projects.

"God loveth a cheerful giver." II Corinthians 9:7
Churches: The church is more than a place of worship: it symbolises the shared beliefs and duties of its congregation. A huge number of charities have been established so that Christians can help secure the future of churches, thereby helping the religious community to flourish.

Society Support: According to Christian teachings, all people are equal under God; providing support and care for the needy is therefore extremely important in Christianity. Jesus's humble and generous actions in his lifetime serve as an example to all Christians. Christian charities tackle a huge number of causes from drug addiction to poverty to relationship breakdown.

Evangelical & Missionary: Many Christians believe they have a duty to spread their beliefs in order to give as many people as possible a chance to hear the gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their saviour before they die. A range of charities serving this purpose exist, transmitting the gospel through technology or face-to-face, at home or abroad.

NB: the reason that Catholic dioceses outnumber those of other denominations in our listings is that they are larger, and our choice of charities is determined by annual expenditure.

More on the Christian view of charity here: Christian Giving and Charity

Resource centre for Chritian charities: Faith Action
     
   

Islam

According to the Qur'an, Muslims have a religious duty to give a small portion of their marketable wealth (eg savings and investments) to charity. Usually this is 2.5 per cent a year, but the rules vary for different types of assets. This practice is called zakat, derived from a word meaning purification; as one of the five pillars of Islam, this religious duty is a necessary act to 'purify' one's remaining wealth before spending it. Islamic charities are usually devoted to the maintenance of mosques and nourishing cultural education. There are also a number of large international aid charities, many of which help the Muslim community around the world.
For information on charity in Islam, visit: BBC Religion Islamicity
     
   

Hinduism

Many Hindus believe that helping people in need is a necessary part of spiritual life. The Bhagavad Gita emphasises that charity is a duty that should be performed without expectation of return. In keeping with this principle, a number of British Hindu charities exist. Most are based around a temple and focus on preserving Hindu culture, while some others promote education and provide care.
More on the different Hindu perspectives on charity here: Hindu Philosophy
All About Religion
     
   

Buddhism

In Buddhist doctrine, there are three types of charity: teaching, courage, and giving away possessions. The gift of teaching is the most valued, but giving material goods is also intrinsic to Buddhism because the Buddha's ideas would not have spread without teachers who relied on people to give them alms. As a result, many Buddhist charities are focused on teaching and the preservation of Buddhist culture. However, a number of international aid charities also exist in this sector.
For more on the Buddhist view of charity, try: Doing the Act of Charity Zen Friends
     
   

Sikhism

Sharing wealth within one's community is one of the three pillars of Sikhism. Individuals are expected to help others in need however they can: equality and compassion are essential to the Sikh spiritual life. According to Guru Nanak, acts of charity are an important part of the process of breaking the cycle of re-birth and merge with God. Community service, seva, is also integral to Sikhism. British Sikh charities work towards a common goal: maintaining the temple, the hub of Sikh life, as well as educating the community and preserving its traditions.
For more about charitable giving in Sikhism, visit: Search Sikhism
     
   

Judaism

Tzedakah, translated as 'charity' or 'justice' is an important part of the Jewish faith. Charitable acts are divided into eight levels, ranging from publicly giving funds to providing the poor with the means to self-sustainibility. Judaism emphasises good deeds as essential to living a sacred life. The second highest level of tzedakah is giving to an unknown recipient, meaning that anonymous donations are common among the Jewish community. Consequently, most Jewish charities in Britain focus on social care and community: care on a local level, or aid to Jews overseas. Preservation of traditions, both Orthodox and Reform, are also a major priority.
For more on the Jewish view of charity, try: Jew FAQ About.com on Judaism Torah.org
     
   

Interfaith

Interfaith charities try to heal the rifts between religions. They can work as discussion groups in which different faiths can look for common ground, or study groups helping people learn more about religions.
There's more about the concept of interfaith dialogue here: the Interfaith Network and Wikipedia's explanation
     
   

Humanism

Humanists strive for an ethical but non-religious world where people can "live good lives on the basis of reason, experience and shared values". There appear to be no strictures on giving although they clearly promote charitable giving and warn members of inadvertently supporting evangelistic charities. They have a preference for giving to organisations that are open to all - and not run by one religion or denomination. In a survey of 676 members the most popular causes were social welfare and international aid. Only two respondents did not support any charities.

More about English and Welsh humanism here: British Humanist Association.

Scots might be particularly interested in the Humanist Society Scotland, which - thanks to more generous laws north of the border - also supplies celebrants to officiate at weddings.

Our religious charity listings