WASHINGTON D.C., April 15, 2005: LaVonne and Bernard Snowden have three children in private school, two flourishing careers and an elegant house in Mitchellville. As thanks for those blessings, the Snowdens say, they give 10 percent of everything they make to their church. Tithing, an ancient practice described in the Bible, is particularly strong in African American communities, where it is reinforced by centuries of family tradition. That has helped propel Prince George’s into the top five counties in the nation for charitable giving, as documented by a Chronicle of Philanthropy study based on donations as a percentage of income. A Washington Post analysis using the same data found that 14 of the top 20 Zip codes for per capita giving in the region were in Prince George’s. Across the spectrum of faiths, religious institutions draw much of the nation’s charitable money, accounting for three out of every four dollars given, the chronicle’s study of 2002 IRS data found. In African American communities, the figure is close to nine out of every 10 dollars.
Many churches of various denominations emphasize gifts of “time, talent and treasure,” allowing some members to meet their obligation with volunteer hours or other services. One of the five pillars of Islam is zakat, which calls for contributing 2.5 percent of income. In the Jewish faith, the tradition of tzedakah focuses on “giving to be just or right” and not on meeting a specific goal for giving, said Rabbi Fred Reiner of Temple Sinai in Northwest Washington. Kenneth Page, stake president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints churches in the District and Southern Maryland, said Mormons must tithe 10 percent of their “increase.” The church lets individuals decide whether to tithe gross or net income. (HPI note: It is also traditional in Hinduism to donate a portion of one’s income to religious work.)
Many African American ministers believe the custom is so strong among their congregations because of the historic role of the church in social and political activism and because of generations of family tradition. Long before government programs were put in place to help the poor and the needy, black churches were responsible for assisting their congregations with everything from food and shelter during Reconstruction to legal help during the civil rights movement. Black churches paid to help poor and disenfranchised citizens at a time when no other help was available, experts said.