SALT LAKE CITY (May 21, 2024) – A new report from Sutherland Institute highlights the evidence on the social service benefits of religion and religious people in their local communities.

In the report, Sutherland Constitutional Law and Religious Freedom Fellow William C. Duncan highlights years of data showcasing the irreplaceable good from religious groups in serving people in need and why protecting religious freedom in Utah and America is necessary.

Highlights from the report:

• Nearly 75% of organizations helping FEMA rebuild communities after disasters are faith-based groups.
• Faith-based organizations, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, “serve as the backbone of the emergency shelter system” in America.
• 91% of religious people are likely to give money to any cause, over 66% of secular people.
• Many of America’s hospitals were pioneered by religious organizations.

​As church attendance in America sees a decline, the values of religious people may be increasingly misunderstood. This report highlights the broad good that faith-based organizations and individuals provide in their communities, serving as a reminder that protecting the right to the free exercise of religion allows for such good to continue.