(Los Angeles, CA) Turning upside-down the stereotypical image of religious givers whose primary philanthropic concern is their own faith group, a new report released by philanthropic research & design lab Jumpstart reveals that charitable givers with deep connections to faith traditions are less in-group-focused than donors with looser ties. Donors who are the most connected to their faith traditions are not just more likely to give, but do so with a sense of openness, experimentation, and risk tolerance, according to the report, Connected to Give: Risk and Relevance.

“Connection fuels innovation – not the other way around,” said report co-author and Jumpstart co-founder & COO Joshua Avedon. “Organizations that use unproven programming as a way to engage prospective donors are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. Don’t be afraid of asking your existing supporters to do new things and take risks.”

Connected to Give: Risk and Relevance concludes the 13-month Connected to Give series, which combines quantitative and qualitative data to paint a startling new picture of the role of faith and community among charitable giving in the United States. This final report, co-authored by Avedon with Jim Gerstein and Shawn Landres, and issued by Jumpstart Labs, explores the questions posed by philanthropies and nonprofits alike in an environment marked by increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

“This offers new evidence-based tools for funders to use with grantees in planning for the future,” said Marcella Kanfer Rolnick, vice chair of GOJO, innovative global leader of professional skin health and hygiene solutions, and chair of Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah.  “They’ll be able to look at changes in the world of philanthropy with eyes wide open, and encourage their grantees to leverage innovation and creative programming as routes towards, not away from, their core supporters.”

Based on nationally representative quantitative data, Connected to Give: Risk and Relevance explores underreported areas such as donors’ engagement in social giving (such as crowdfunding, giving circles, and microlending) and the impact of political ideology on giving attitudes and practices. The study uses data drawn from the National Study of American Religious Giving (NSARG) and the National Study of American Jewish Giving (NSAJG).

“There’s a virtuous circle between connection and charity, and it extends to innovation just as much as to traditional giving,” said report co-author Dr. Shawn Landres, co-founder and CEO & Director of Research at Jumpstart, which spearheaded Connected to Give. “It’s not surprising to learn that young people are interested in new, tech-driven forms of giving, but the people who are most open to innovative approaches are the ones already stepping up in their communities. They might be young parents who go to church or synagogue. They have high degrees of social connection and involvement.”

Connected to Give: Risk and Relevance is the sixth and last in a series of reports based upon the wealth of data drawn from the National Study of American Religious Giving and the National Study of American Jewish Giving. The Connected to Give series is funded and led by a national collaborative consortium of more than a dozen independent, family and community foundations and organizations. Partners include the Andrea & Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Emanuel J. Friedman Philanthropies, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego, Koret Foundation, Leichtag Foundation, Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation, Marcus Foundation, Joseph Meyerhoff and Rebecca Meyerhoff Awards Committee, Jack and Goldie Wolfe Miller Fund, The Morningstar Foundation, The Natan Fund, Rose Community Foundation (Denver), Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and Birthright Israel NEXT. Additional support was provided by Mandell Berman.

Connected to Give: Risk and Relevance is available for download at http://www.connectedtogive.org. “Like” Connected to Give on Facebook.

Jumpstart is a 501(c)(3) philanthropic research & design lab based in Los Angeles. Jumpstart’s unique combination of research, convenings, and funding enables creative changemakers—philanthropists and institutional leaders alike—to realize their own visions and advance the common good. Jumpstart’s innovative approach to analysis and forecasting, through such publications as The Innovation Ecosystem and The Jewish Innovation Economy, has earned international recognition. For further information, please visit http://jumpstartlabs.org or email [email protected]. Follow Jumpstart on Twitter or “Like” Jumpstart on Facebook.