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Senior Citizen Volunteers
Senior Citizens, Women Most Generous in Contributing
to Charities
U.S. charity focuses on religious groups, poverty
and disaster relief
Aug. 28, 2007 Senior citizens are more generous
in contributing to charitable causes than are younger people, finds a
new poll. It also says nine of ten Americans regularly contribute to
charities and women are more likely to give than men.
The younger adults participating in the telephone
survey, commissioned in July by SunTrust Bank, said they prefer to
volunteer their time rather than give money.
The survey polled 2,058 adults over the age of 18
to gauge public opinions and beliefs about charitable giving in the U.S.
According to the survey,
● respondents were also most likely to support causes relating to
their church or other religious organization (53%);
● to organizations that combat hunger and poverty (50%); or
● to provide disaster relief from hurricanes and other natural
catastrophes (48%).
The non-profit organizations least likely to
receive donations from survey respondents were those supporting
● animal causes (32%);
● environmental issues (25%); or
● arts and culture (21%).
The SunTrust "My Cause" poll coincides with the
bank's new promotion that offers certain clients the opportunity to have
SunTrust Bank make a donation in their name to their favorite charity or
receive a gift card for their own personal use.
When asked, more than half of respondents (59%)
said they would prefer to give the donation to charity rather than get
the cash (33%) for themselves.
"The survey answered many questions we had about
charitable giving as we launched the 'My Cause' promotion," said
SunTrust Corporate Executive Vice President Gene Kirby, head of the
Company's Retail and Commercial Banking lines of business.
"We are encouraged by how widespread charitable
giving is, and we are delighted that more than half of those asked would
choose to give back to their communities and help others. That says a
lot about the generosity of Americans today."
The survey also found that most Americans don't
have an "either/or" approach to supporting their favorite causes: Those
who had made recent monetary donations to charity are also significantly
more likely (94%) to support non-profit organizations in other ways than
those who haven't donated recently (74%).
Younger Americans (18-34 year olds) are also more
generous with their non- monetary support than older Americans (35+
years old), and are more willing to purchase products to support a
cause, volunteer with the organization, attend fundraisers and
participate in large-scale events. They are also more likely to wear
bracelets or other accessories associated with a cause.
Other significant findings in the SunTrust Bank
"My Cause" poll include:
● On average, Americans spend 4.1% of their
annual household income on charitable causes; those over 55 years of age
donate the largest percentage (4.6%) versus those 18-34 (3.8%)
● Across gender, age and region, Americans were
most motivated to give back for two reasons: It's the right thing to do
(89%) and because they want to help others (88%). Just 26% of
respondents say they donate money to receive a tax write-off
● Three-quarters of Americans (76%) prefer to
support their charity of choice by giving money instead of by
volunteering time
● Women are more likely than men to give to a
charitable cause (93% vs. 87%); women are also more inclined to choose
the $100 SunTrust donation over the cash incentive (65% vs. 54%)
● Southern adults donate the highest proportion
(4.5%) of their income to charitable causes, followed by the Midwest
(4.2%), the West (4.0%) and the Northeast (3.6%)
● Two in three Americans (63%) give money
directly to people in need, such as those on the street or via churches
and community organizations
● Seven in 10 Americans are inclined to do
business with companies that give back to their communities
For more details about the SunTrust "My Cause" poll
or promotion, visit www.suntrust.com\mycause .
Editors Notes:
SunTrust Banks, Inc. (NYSE:STI)
, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking
organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate
and institutional clients. As of June 30, 2007, SunTrust had total
assets of $180.3 billion and total deposits of $122.9 billion. The
Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the
high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of
technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels. The Company also serves
customers in selected markets nationally. Its primary businesses include
deposit, credit, trust and investment services. Through various
subsidiaries the Company provides credit cards, mortgage banking,
insurance, brokerage, equipment leasing and capital markets services.
SunTrust's Internet address is suntrust.com
http://www.suntrust.com/
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