What factors influence your decision to support a particular charity? A new survey sheds some light on this question.

For one, religion might not have as great of an impact as might be assumed. Indeed, according to the Heart of the Donor study, commissioned by the Russ Reid Company, only a minority of religious donors support specifically religious work through non-profit organizations.

“It’s possible some religious donors are supporting disaster relief or domestic hunger through overtly religious organizations, but that’s not how they’re thinking of the work that’s being done,” explained Ron Sellers, president of Grey Matter Research, which conducted the study. “However, only 18% of donors who regularly attend worship services prefer supporting organizations which have their religious beliefs as a major part of everything they do, and 28% prefer organizations that have a religious background but which are not necessarily conducting religious work.

In addition to religion, the study, which surveyed over 2000 American adults by phone or online, explored what impact one’s age, ethnicity or political beliefs may have on their charitable giving.

Here is what it found:
Disaster relief (61% of all donors): Less likely to receive support from Caucasians, political conservatives and people in the West than from other groups, but more likely to be supported by women, Spanish-speakers, people born outside the United States, college graduates, suburban and urban residents, donors with children in the household, and those who also support and/or attend a place of worship (particularly Catholics).

Domestic hunger or poverty relief (57% of all donors): A favorite or women, Asians, political moderates, people age 40 or older, those who also support and/or attend a place of worship and especially a favorite of Catholics. Less likely to be supported by people with no particular religious identification.

Health care or medical research (53% of all donors): More likely to receive support from women, married donors, suburban residents, college graduates and donors from the Northeast. Far more likely to receive support from very high-income households than from very low-income households.

People with disabilities (53% of all donors): More likely to get funding from donors who are 40 or older, who financially support and/or attend a place of worship, who identify themselves with a religious group of any type and who have never attended college.

Veterans (50% of all donors): A favorite of Caucasians and those who were native-born to the U.S., as well as people earning under $30,000 per year, less educated donors, married donors, people who attend and/or support a place of worship and those who have no children in the household.