Michael McCurry
Michael McCurry is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Michael McCurry
What every Democratic presidential candidate needs to know about religious voters
By Michael McCurry and Shaun Casey — April 9, 2019
(RNS) — The current crop of Democratic White House contenders can learn from how Senators Kennedy and Obama handled their very different faith-based crises.
NEWS FEATURE: Memorial Gifts Ripe for Planned Giving
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 2000
c. 2000 Religion News Service UNDATED _ When Steven Cooper’s mother died, he gave a $1,000 donation in her memory to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Not a sad story, he said recently. She was 93, she loved animals, and she was tired of living. Cooper’s relatively small, impulsive donation […]
NEWS FEATURE: Memorial Gifts Ripe for Planned Giving
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 2000
c. 2000 Religion News Service UNDATED _ When Steven Cooper’s mother died, he gave a $1,000 donation in her memory to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Not a sad story, he said recently. She was 93, she loved animals, and she was tired of living. Cooper’s relatively small, impulsive donation […]
NEWS STORY: In booming economy, giving to charity is up
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1999
c. 1999 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The point is pretty obvious: When Americans have more money, they give more money to charity. An impressive $175 billion last year. Giving by individuals, encouraged by the buoyant economy, is up 10 percent, and it’s up for the third consecutive year, according to “Giving USA 1999,” an […]
NEWS FEATURE: Americans giving more time, less money
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1999
c. 1999 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Americans are more willing to give their time to good causes than their money these days. A recent survey of household giving and volunteering shows that despite a booming economy, the financial contribution rate stayed at just about the same place it has been for some 30 years, […]
NEWS FEATURE: Relief workers are a breed apart
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1999
c. 1999 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ The tasks are beyond intimidating _ digging latrines, finding clean water, getting meals and tents and medical care to more than half a million severely traumatized refugees. Who would willingly go to the Kosovo border and do this work 20 hours a day, seven days a week? What […]
NEWS FEATURE: Doing good while shopping online
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1998
c. 1998 Religion News Service UNDATED _ In search of books, sweaters, toys, and a nearly infinite variety of whatevers, Americans are spending billions of dollars out there in the Internet universe. Online shoppers spent some $3.5 billion in the last quarter of 1998 alone. With all that money surging around the electronic ether, a […]
NEWS STORY: Bullish stock market gave charities boost; future uncertain
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1998
c. 1998 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Most U.S. charities had a bumper year in 1997, according to new figures, but the rosy glow may already be evaporating as fund-raisers agonize over whether the erratic stock market will discourage donors. In 1997, with the stock market still soaring, donations to religious and other charities rose […]
NEWS STORY: Big companies increasing their charitable giving
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1998
c. 1998 Religion News Service UNDATED _ Bouyed by the booming economy and public expectations, the nation’s richest companies say their charitable giving will grow 11 percent this year, according to a new survey by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The new figures reflect a continuing trend among large corporations. Previous surveys by the Chronicle found […]
NEWS FEATURE: New charity trend: women helping women
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1998
c. 1998 Religion News Service PHILADELPHIA _”Women now have a significant amount of money and they are creating opportunities for other women who are somewhat left behind,” says Sister Mary Scullion. The crusading nun’s “somewhat” was a tactful way of describing situations that are desperate. Scullion made her remarks at the recent groundbreaking for a […]
NEWS FEATURE: In the giving game, the rich give but the poor come out losers
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1997
c. 1997 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ Wealthy Americans tend to give to wealthy institutions, most often the college that upped their earning potential and the hospital keeping them healthy. They don’t give much to the poor. It’s their business where they decide to give their money, but the fact that wealth flows to wealth […]
NEWS FEATURE: Lottery winners looking to do good with jackpots
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1997
c. 1997 Religion News Service UNDATED _ When Dr. Laurent Pierre-Philippe won a $10 million jackpot this year, he didn’t quit his day job or rush out to buy around-the-world cruise tickets. Instead, he joined a small but growing number of lottery winners who are using their good luck to do good. The Baltimore doctor, […]
NEWS STORY: Summit meeting may spur more volunteers than needed
By Shaun Casey — January 1, 1997
c. 1997 Religion News Service UNDATED _ A panoply of the prominent and the powerful _ including three U.S. presidents, former first lady Nancy Reagan, and talk show host Oprah Winfrey _ will gather in Philadelphia next week (April 27-29) to encourage Americans to step up and volunteer, putting a special emphasis on aiding poor […]
NEWS FEATURE: DOING GOOD: Volunteer doctors make the world a bit more beautiful
By Shaun Casey — August 13, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service NORFOLK, VA. _ The winner of the world’s biggest humanitarian award says it was narcissism, not altruism, that prompted him to do good. Dr. William Magee, founder of Operation Smile, recently accepted a check for $1 million _ the first Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. The Norfolk, Va.-based group sends […]
TOP STORY: GOD AND POLITICS: Bob Dole and the Christian bikers
By Shaun Casey — July 8, 1996
c. 1996 Religion News Service HATFIELD, Ark. _ “They don’t look like bikers,” said Herbie Shreve Jr., an Arkansan who has ridden thousands of miles this year on his motorcycle, including three 850-mile days. Shreve was talking about presumptive Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole and his wife Elizabeth. Here’s the connection, and admittedly it’s not […]
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